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Full text of "A history of the most remarkable pestilential distempers that have appeared in Europe for three hundred years last past. With what proved successful or hurtful in their cure. Together with the method of prevention and cure of the plague ..."

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ISTORY 

;  tT v  ■  *  /  j  '  a  *  •  •  -  >  •  ■  \  ■  nkif£-  '  •  •  i  .'ft* 

Of  the  raoft  Remarkable 

Peftilential  Difiempers 

That  have  appeared  in  Europe 

for  Three  Hundred  Years  laft.paft ; 

WITH 

What  proved  Successful  or  Hurtful 
I  in  their  CURE,  ( 

l  s 

TOGETHER 

With  the  Method  of  Prevention  and  Cure 

of  the  PLAGUE, 

Founded  upon  the  Experience  of  thofe  who  were 
Practitioners  when  it  raged. 

Laid  down  in  fuch  a  Manner  that  the  Generality  of 
People  may  be  able  to  manage  themfelves. 


■'  V- 

*$!$.  \ 

i  S  1 


ana 


By  R.  RROOKES  M.  D. 


The  Sweating-Sicknefs  *  *  *  *  *  was  mojl  probably  of  a  Foreign 
Original,  and  no  other  than  a  Plague  abated  in  its  Violence  by 
the  mild  'Temperament  of  our  Climate . 

Mead’s  Short  Difcourfe. 


LONDON , 

Printed  for  A.  Corbett,  at  the  Old  Hand  and  Ten,,  over 
■  / 

againft  the  Chapel  in  Ruffel-Coun ,  near  Covent-Garden  5 
*,  and  J.  Roberts,  near  the  Oxford- Arms  in  Warwick- 
t  'Lane,  M.dcc.xxL 

(Price  Sixpence.) 


PREFACE. 


HO  EVER  writes  with 
any  tolerable  Succefs  upon 
the  P  l  a  g  u  e,  wtift  found 
his  Opinions  upon  the  Ob- 
fervauons  and.  Experience  of 
his  Predeceffors  ;  for  they 
alone  -are  able  to  inform  us 
pf  the  different  Fortune  of  a  various  "Prac¬ 
tice,  and  the  fever al  Lryals  that  have  been 
made  to  weaken  the  Force  of  fo  formidable 

an  Enemy  to  Mankind. 

If  this  be  true,  as  undoubtedly  it  is,  the 
deader  will  not  be  difpleafed  to  find  that 
he  has  a  good  deal  of  Labour  faved  in 
turning  over  Variety  of  IBooks ,  and  infiead 

A  2  of 


( 4 )  s 

of  having  Observations  Scattered  here  and 
there,  he  may  now  behold  them  with  one 
View. 

In  tranflating  what  I  here  prefent  you , 
thd*  I  have  made  confiderable  Contraptions , 
I  have  omitted  no  material  Circumfiance 
that  would  either  explain  the  Nature  of  the 
Difea  fe  or  the  Manner  of  its  Cure  ;  and  if 
my  Authors  had  been  more  particular ,  I 
might  have  be^en  fo  too . 

What  I  have  / aid  in  the  Second  Part,  I 
have  Authority  for  ;  and  I  believe  as  good 
as  any  Per  [on  elfe  can  have . 


PART 


PART,! 

A  H/ftory  of  the  mofl  Re¬ 
markable  Peftilential  Dif- 
tempers,  &c. 


HEP  lag  tie  is  a  Subject  of  fo  great 
Importance  to  Mankind,  that  whoever 
lincerely  endeavours  to  weaken  its  Force 
or  {lop  its  Frogrefs ,  is  iufficiently  excufed 
in  the  Attempt,  tho*  he  ihould  not  meet 
with  any  extraordinary  Succefs. 

However  fpecious  or  conclufive  the 
Reafonings  of  fome  may  be,  yet  they 
fatisfy  us  no  farther  than  they  have  Experience  for 
their  Foundation  j  becaufe  whatever  is  not  built  upon 
that,  mull  needs  be  uncertain  and  precarious.  Tofearch 
after  the  hidden  Caufes  of  Things,  to  give  probable 
Guefles  in  abilrufe  Matters,  may,  indeed,  anfwer  the 
Ends  of  Oftentation  and  Vain-glory ,  and  pleafe  fome  cu¬ 
rious  and  inquifkive  Minds  5  but  the  Fears  and  the,  Suf¬ 
ferings  of  Mankind  call  for  fomething  more:  While  a 
mofl  dreadful  Enemy  of  Mankind  rages,  and  impe- 
riouily  threatens  the  Death  of  Thoufands,  there  is  no 
time  left  for  empty  Speculations  and  idle  Amufements  5  all 
Aids  are  to  be  fummon’d,  all  Methods  try’d,  that  if 
pofiible  one  way  or  other  this  Deilroyer  of  Mankind  may 
be  vanquifhkb 


Plow  ever, 


(6) 

However,  no  o7ie  \ Method ,  how  promffing  foever,  can 
be  fecure  enough  wherewith  to  trull  the  Welfare  of  Mil¬ 
lions  of  People,  unlefs  that  one  Method  were  infallibly 
certain,  which  it  is  not  pofiible  any  fhould  be  that  have 
not  been  try’d  ;  Befides,  it  is  not  fufficient,  as  fome  Peo¬ 
ple  feem  to  imagine,  to  call  a  Deftruflive  Diftemper  by 
the  name  of  the  Plague ,  and  then  to  give  the  Remedies 
for  that  Diftemper  in  general.  We  cannot  be  fure  that 
Diftempers  which  to  very  dilcerning  Eyes  feem  to  have 
the  fame  Symptoms,  requite  the  fame  Method  of  Cure  3 
much  lefs  ought  we  to  adhere  to  one  uniform  Way,  of 
fraclice,  where  the  Difeale  puts  on  Variety  of  Shapes: 
And  if  we  may  believe  Dr.  Mead *,  the  fame  Diftemper 
that  is  call’d  the  Plague  in  France ,  may  put  on  another 
Drefs,  and  in  England  become  the  Szveati ng-Si ch nej '$. 

It  does  indeed  feem  to  be  very  probable,  that  the 
fame  Diitemper  may  put  on  different  Appearances,  or  in 
other  words,  that  the  fame  Caufe  may  produce  various 
E£fe£ts  3  for  the  fame  real  on,  that  an  equal  Quantity  of 
the  fame  Medicine  has  different  Operations  upon  different 
Bodies.  ”  j 

To  be  well  guarded  therefore,  we  fhould  be  able  to 
know  and  overcome  our  Enemy  under  all  . Difguijes ,  at 
leail  under  all  thole  that  we  have  had  any  Account  he 
has  yet  appeared  :  This  I  take  to  be  the  moft  cautious 
and  prudent  Way  of  Proceeding  3  for  let  us  be  attack’d 
on  which  fide  we  will,  we  fhall  in  fome  meafure  b© 
prepared  to  ward  off  the  Blows,  and  defend  ourfelves 
againft  the  Affault. 

When  any  new  Diitemper  appears,  Phyficians  are  com¬ 
monly  at  a  lofs  what  to  do,  or  how  to  proceed,  till  a 
fufficient  number  of  Experiments  have  been  try’d,  which 
may  enable  them  to  do  more  than  guefs  at  a  Method  of 
Cure.  But  if  they  find  any  old  Diforder  to  which  they 
may  compare  the  new,  tho’  not  alike  in  every  Particu¬ 
lar,  they  with  good  Reafon  conclude,  that  what  has 
prevail’d  againfl  that,  is  moil  likely  to  prevail  againft 
this. 

I  think  then  it  is  very  plain  we  cannot  be  too  well 
armed  againft  Contagious  Diftempers  of  any  fort,  much 
lei s  againft  the  moft  deftruBhe  3  and  if  I  can  give  any 
tolerable  History  of  them,  the  Prefervathes  againft 


*  See  his  fieri  Dfcourfe,  p.  6, 


them, 


(?) 

them,  and  the  Cure  of  thofe  that  were  infe£led,  I  ihall 
not  contribute  the  lead  toward  fo  valuable  a  Purpcfe, 

And  what  makes  fuch  an  Attempt  more  neceffary,  is, 
that  nothing  is  more  common  than  to  give  the  fame 
Names  to  Difeafes  very  unlike.  Thus  Crato  affirms, 
that  after  30  Years  diligent  Obfervation,  the  Hungaric 
Difeafe  never  returned  with  the  fame  Symptoms  that  it 
had  before,  as  Volins  *  reports.  Sennertus  f  makes  it 
the  E {fence  of  a  Flague  to  be  Contagious  and  Mortal  $  fo 
that  if  it  be  attended  with  a  Fever,  Raving,  Watchings 
Head-Ach ,  profound  Sleep ,  Ulcers  op  the  Mouth ,  Quinfy , 

Fletirijy ,  Vomiting.,  Loojenefs ,  'Jaundice,  Buboes,  Carbuncles 
and  Spots  of  various  kinds,  yet  h£  comprehends  them 
under  the  general  Name  of  the  Flague ;  for,  fays  he,  it 
is  not  the  Quinfy  that  fuffocates,  the  Fever  that  kills, 
but  the  Flague. 

Dr.  Willis  **  in  his  Defcription  of  the  Flague  brings  in 
Buboes  and  Carbuncles,  and  yet  without  doubt  that  was 
properly  a  Flague  which  Heurnius  jf  fpeaks  of,  which 
happened  in  the  Year  1445,  when  People  dropt.down 
dead  without  fo  much  as  a  Fever,  or  any  other  Symptom. 

The  Ufe  of  a  Name,  indeed,  I  take  to  be  a  matter 
of  no  great  moment,  provided  it  does  not  lead  us  into 
Midakes,  and  if  we  do  not  attempt  the  Management  of 
all  Didempers  of  the  fame  Name  after  the  fame  Man¬ 
ner.  But  before  1  profecute  my  main  Deiign,  I  ihall 
defcribe  what  I  mean  by  a  Flague  or  Fefiilential  Difiem- 
per,  and  fome  of  its  moreufual  Symptoms. 

The  Flague  then  is  an  Epidemical  Didemper,  Conta- The  BUguz 
gious,  very  fatal  to  Mankind,  commonly  taking  its  Rife®^* 
from  a  poifonous  Air,  and  afterwards  propagated  by 
Contagion  5  it  is  often  attended  with  Buboes ,  Carbuncles , 

Spots,  Wheals  and  Fujlutes. 

Some  Authors  think  that  a  Flague  may  exid  without 
being  Epidemical  or  common,  and  that  there  are  Epi¬ 
demical  Didempers  that  are  not  contagious  $  and  the 
Cough  and  Catarrh  mention’d  by  |j  Foreftus  is  brought  as  an 
Indance,  which  in  the  Year  1580  fpread  throughout 
Europe  in  iix  Weeks  time,  and  of  which  fcarce  one  in  a 
thoufand  died,  tho’  whole  Families  were  ill  of  it  at 


*  Dobei  Encyclop.  p.  5  38.  j  De  Natur.  Peft.  cap.  I* 

**  Willis  de  Pefte.  ft  Heurnii  Inft.  Med.  p.200. 
ii  Foreftus,  Lib,  6,  Obfer.3. 


once. 


(  8  ) 

once.  However  juft  the  latter  Observation  may  be^ 
the  former  feemstoo  trifling  to  inftftupon. 

Buboes  what.  Buboes  are  Swellings  of  the  Glands  occasioned  by  the 
Sharp  Morbific  Matter  that  is  thrown  upon  them,  which 
Sometimes  encreafing,  Suppurates  and  turns  into  Pus. 
Thefe  moft  commonly  appear  in  the  Groin,  Sometimes 
behind  the  Ears,  and  in  the  Neck. 

Carbuncles  A  Carbuncle  is  a  fiery  Swelling  encompaffed  with  the 
what.  moft  Sharp  and  burning  Puftules,  infeftingthe  Sick  with 
intolerable  Pain  5  it  breaks  out  in  any  Place  without 
diliinclion,  does  not  Suppurate  or  turn  into  Pus ,  but 
creeping  and  enlarging  its  Bounds,  throws  out  the  eaten 
corrupted  Flefih,  which  leaves  a  hollow  Ulcer  behind 
it  as  if  burnt  with  an  Ef char  otic. 

What  'DoUncs  *  relates  of  an  Accident  which  happened 
in  the  time  of  the  Plague  in  the  Lower  Palatinate ,  is 
pretty  remarkable  :  4  A  certain  Maid,  fays  he,  had  a 
4  Carbuncle  on  the  End  of  her  Ring-Finger,  and  whe- 
4  ther  becaufe  She  was  delirious,  or  through  Vehemence 
4  of  the  Pain,  1  know  not,  but  She  took  a  common 
4  Kitchen-Knife,  and  cut  the  End  of  her  Finger  off} 

4  yet  for  all  that  She  died  the  next  day,  with  her  Fin- 
4  ger  and  Hand  mortify ’d.’ 

Spots?  The  Spots,  Wheals  and.  Pujlules  are  of  the  fame  fort  of 

Wheals ,  jP«f-Swellings  with  thole  before  defcribed,  and  are  only 
tales,  what.  mQYt  nialignant  for  being  lefs  5  for  in  thefe  the  Poifon 

being  more  difperfed,  is  more  deadly  and  fatal  than  if  it 
was  thrown  upon  one  Place. 

Some  have  taken  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  inform  us 
when  we  are  to  expecf  that  we  Shall  be  vifited  with  a 
Peftilential  Viflemper,  but  with  very  little  certainty  5 
efpecially  if  what  Dr.  Mead  f  fays  be  true,  That  fuch 
Diftempers  are  not  of  Engl'ijh  Growth :  but  that,  per¬ 
haps,  we  may  conlider  hereafter, 

Diagnojlic  Diagnoftic  Signs  indeed  may  be  made  better  ufe  of, 
Signs  what,  for  thefe  Serve  to  Shew7  when  Perfons  are  afHidled  with 
this  dreadful  Diftemper,  and  how  we  may  know  that 
they  are  fo  5  which  being  timely  difcovered,  any  Help 
that  can  begot,  is  likely  to  prove  moft  beneficial.  The 
chiefof  which,  as  they  are  ob Served  by  Authors  of  moft 
Note,  are  as  follow. 


*  Dolaei  Encyclop.  p.  540. 
t  See  pag.  5,  of  his  Short  Difcourfe. 


The 


(9  ) 

The  Pulfe  fmall,  weak,  quick  and  unequal  5  a  Pain 
at  the  Mouth  of  the  Stomach  5  fometimes  great  and  in- 
fatiable  Thirfi  3  Loathing  of  Food  and  all  kind  of  Vic¬ 
tuals  5  Vomiting  5  Shivering  and  Trembling  5  Weannefs  and 
Heavinefs  of  the  Body  5  Pains  in  the  Head 5  continual 
Waking  and  Raving  3  fometimes  extreme  Heavinefs  and 
Sleepinefs  3  the  Urine  often  like  that  of  a  healthy  Per- 
fon,  the  Heat  not  extraordinary  5  Rednejs  of  the  Ayer  5 
and  at  laid  littl t  pur  pie  Spots  like  the  Bitings  of  Fleas. 

Thefe  are  the  Signs  ufually  taken  notice  of,  but  do 
not  agree  with  all  Pejiilential  Diftempers,  as  you  will 
find  hereafter,  but  only  to  a  Species  of  them.  I  fhall 
therefore  begin  my  Account  of  thefe  Dillempers  with 
that  remarkable  Difeafe  call’d  the  Sweatlng-Sicknefs : Seating* 
This  was  firlt  obferved  in  the  Year  1480",  and  b e c au  fe 
it  was  fuppofed  to  be  a  new  Diftemper,  and  to  take  its  4 
Rife  in  England,  it  is  call’d  by  Authors  Sudor  Anglicus 
and  Pejlls  Sudor ifca  Anglican  it  continued  in  England al- 
1110ft  conlf antly  for  40  Years  together,  and  tho’  the  Cold 
of  the  Winter  feern’d  to  drive  it  away  fometimes,  yet  it 
would  return  in  warmer  Weather  with  freili  Vigour.  It 
deftroy’d  fuch  vail  numbers  of  People  before  there  was 
a  certain  Remedy  found  out,  that  Foreigners  hardly  be¬ 
lieved  there  were  fo  many  in  the  whole  Ifland.  From 
England  in  1525  it  took  its  Progrefs,  and  in  five  Years I525s 
time  march’d  through  Lower  Germany ,  the  Low  Coun¬ 
tries ,  Holland ,  Zeland ,  Brabant ,  Flanders ,  Denmark ,  Nor¬ 
way  and  France. 

So  mercilefs  was  this  Dillemper,  that  when  it  fir fi: 
entered  a  City,  it  would  feize  five  or  fix  hundred  a  day, 
and  fcarce  fix  recovered. 

Thofe  that  were  taken  with  it,  had  neither  Buboes, Symptoms* 
Carbuncles ,  nor  Spots ,  but  were  excefiively  weak  and 
faint  3  they  had  Uneafinefs  at  the  Heart,  Pain  in  the 
Head,  thick,  fwift,  unequal  Pulfe,  and  great  Palpitation 
of  the  Heart ,  which  would  l,aft  with  fome  that  recovered 
two  or  three  Years,  and  did  not  leave  others  all  their 
Life  long  5  they  were  under  a  continual  and  plentiful 
Sweat,  wThich  did  not  end  till  the  Dillemper  ceafed, 
which  was  in  twenty  four  Hours  time.  Thofe  which  did 
not  farther  their  Sweating ,  nor  ufed.  Cordials ,  and  who, 
impatient  of  Heat^  expofed  themfelves  to  the  cold  Air i 
all  died  fuddenly  in  thefpace  of  twenty  four  Flours :  But 
after  the  Cure  came  to  be  known*  and  they  fortified 

B  the 


Caufe* 


Viet  to  he 
ufed . 


(  10  ) 

the  Sick  with  Cordials ,  and  promoted  their  t Sweating,  not 
fo  many  peri  fired. 

The  Caufe  of  this  Diffemper  was  generally  allowed 
to  be  iome  Poifonous  Quality  of  the  Air.  Yet  fome 
afcribed  it  to  the  malignant  Influences  of  the  Stars,  a- 
mongff  whom  was  Sennertus ,  but  more  especially  Camb- 
den,  who  does  not  at  all  doubt  but  it  owed  its  Rife  to  an 
Opposition  of  Saturn  and  Mars  from  the  Zodiacal  Con- 
•ftellations  Scorpio  and  Taurus ,  as  you  may  fee  more  at 
large  in  his  Britannia. 

But  whatever  the  Caufe  was,  the  EfFeffs  were  fome- 
times  foon  over  5  for  it  was  was  obferved  by  Tyengius  to 
enter  Amj  erdam  with  a  mi  fly  Air  on  the  20th.  of  Septem¬ 
ber  1  529  after  Noon,  and  after  a  flay  of  five  days  entire¬ 
ly  vanifhed,  and  returned  no  more. 

In  the  iear  1 55°,  England  was  again  viflted  with  this 
flrange  Difiemper  5  it  was  faid  to  deflroy  a  great  num¬ 
ber  of  People  in  the  Prime  of  their  Age,  and  what  is 
very  remarkable  that  our  Historians  relate,  it  affected 
none  but  the  Englifi  in  foreign  Countries.  Our  Ambaffa- 
dor  at  that  time  at  Paris  confulted  three  famous  Phyfi- 
cianp  Fernelius ,  Holier  ins  and  Silvias ,  for  a  Prefervative 
againft  it. 

They  advifed  him  to  drink  moderately  of  flrong  Li¬ 
quors,  and  to  eat  fuch  things  as  were  eafy  of  Digeflion, 
as  Small  Birds ,  Partridges ,  Pullets ,  Pheafants ,  young  Hares , 
Conies  and  Kid  5  and  thefe  not  boiled,  but  roafted.  That 
his  Body  might  be  kept  as  free  from  Crudities  as  pofli- 
ble,.  they  order’d  him  to  take  two  or  three  of  the  fol¬ 
lowing  Pills  once  or  twice  a  Week,  an  Hour  before  any 
thing  was  to  be  eaten. 


Mis,  Take  of  the  choice!!  Myrrh  two  Drams  j  of  the  beff 

Aloes  half  an  Ounce  5  Saffron  half  a  Scruple  5  of 
the  Leaves  of  the  true  and  of  the  Roots  of 
falle  Dittany ,  of  the  Roots  of  Betony  and  Tormen- 
titj  of  the  true  Bole  Armoniac ,  of  the  Seated  Earth 
of  Lemnos,  of  each  half  a  Dram.  With  new  Oil 
of  fiveet  Almonds  and  Syrup  of  Lemons  make  a 
Mafs,  to  be  wrapped  in  Leather  and  kept  for  Ufe. 

They  alfo  commended  the  frequent  Ufe  of  candied 
Citron- Peel,  Conferve  of  Rofes,  Conferve  of  Borrage- 
Flowers ,  Conferve  of  Spleemvort ,  Scabious ,  Succory  and 
Toi  mentil-Root.  And  alfoprefcribed  the  following  Mix¬ 
ture, 


(  II  ) 

ture,  of  which  the  Quantity  of  a  Hazle-Nut  was  to  be 
taken  now  and  then,  two  Hours  beiore  Break  fall. 

Take  of  the  Conferve  of  Rofes ,  Bor  rage  and  Buglofs  Mixture. 
Flowers,  candied  Citron,  of  each  an  Ounce  5  of 
old  Venice  Treacle  three  Drams  5  of  Bole  Armo- 
?uac ,  Sealed  Earth  of  Lemnos ,  oi  each  two  Drams  : 
make  a  Mixture. 

After  the  taking  of  a  little  of  which,  two  Ounces  of 
diilill’d  Wine  was  to  be  drank. 

Whether  or  no  any  Prefervathe  was  fufficient  to  keep 
away  the  Diftemper,  Authors  .are  lilent  3  but  as  to  the 
*  Cure,  not  fo :  the  whole  Secret  of  which  confided  in  Cure . 
covering  the  Sick  in  Bed,  and  not  fuffering  the  leaft 
Breath  of  Air  to  come  near  them.  They  would  not 
fuffer  the  Sick  to  leave  his  Bed  upon  the  moll  urgent 
Occafion,  no  nor  io  much  as  to  move  themfelves,  nor 
could  this  be  obtain’d  by  any  Prayers  or  Intreaties  of  the 
Sick.  When  the  Sick  was  very  hot,  and  wanted  to 
drink,  they  gave  him  fome  of  the  following  Decodlion, 
which  refrelh’d  his  Spirits,  and  promoted  the  Sweating. 

Take  of  the  Flowers  of  white  Water- Lillies  and  Vio-  DecoBhn* 
lets ,  of  each  half  a  Handful  3  of  Carduus  Bene- 
diHus ,  Pimpernel ,  Barrage,  Buglofs ,  honed  Raifins, 
of  each  a  Pugil  5  of  Figs  n°  ten  3  Lentils  husked, 
wafhed  Lack,  of  each  live  Drams  3  of  Traga- 
canth  three  Drams,  Zedoary,  Dittany,  Tormentil- 
Roots ,  boil  in  a  fuflicient  Quantity  of  Water  of 
white  Water- Lillies  and  Buglofs,  and  make  a  Li¬ 
quor  to  be  kept  for  the  Life  above  mention’d. 

They  would  alfo  fometimes  give  the  Sick,  Syrup  of 
Citrons,  Pomegranates,  or  Sorrel ,  by  way  of  Refrelhment. 

They  alfo  made  ufe  of  convenient  Smells,  and  held 
them  to  theNofe  of  the  Sick,  or  did  as  follows. 

Take  Rof e-Water  three  Ounces  3  Vinegar  an  Ounces  Burnt* 
Cloves,  yellozv  Saunders,  of  each  half  a  Dram  : 
mix  and  evaporate  upon  a  flow  Fire  in  the 
Chamber. 


*  Vid.  Fracaftorius  lib.  2.  cap.  5.  de  Morb.  Contag. 


B  2  When 


(  *2  ) 

When  the  Sick  has  flept  long  and  plentifully  enough, 
he  is  to  be  uncovered  by  little  and  little,  and  at  lafh  the 
Sweat  is  to  be  carefully  wiped  off. 

It  will  not  be  improper  to  take  notice,  that  thofe  that 
were  yet  well  would  earneftly  intreat  each  other  not  to  buf¬ 
fer  fuch  of  them  that  fhould  fall  ftck  to  leave  their  Beds 
before  the  dueTimeupon  any  Account  whatever  3  and  yet 
thefe  fame  Perfons,  while  ill,  would  beg  and  pray  with 
the  moft  moving  Arguments  they  could  think  of,  to  be 
at  liberty,  llruggling,  and  crying  out  in  the  moft  pitiful 
manner:  which  violent  Emotions  the  Phyficians  did  not 
endeavour  to  pacify,  imagining  it  haftned  their  Reco¬ 
very.  When  the  Sick  did  not  fweat  freely,  they  endea¬ 
vour’d  to  promote  it  with  proper  Medicines. 

*  Schenckius  relates  an  odd  fort  of  a  Story  of  one  that 
would  not  fu bm it  to  the  ufual  Methods  of  Cure,  and 
in  order  to  avoid  it  run  away  and  hid  himfelf  in  an 
Oven  from  whence  the  Bread  was  newly  drawn  5  which 
giving  him  a  pretty  plentiful  Sweat,  he  at  length  crept 
out  with  the  ufual  Signs  of  Recovery. 

geJUtenet  I  fhall  no w  go  back  to  that  terrible  Eeflilence  which 
■with Infirm-  raged  in  the  Tear  1348,  in  the  Reign  of  Edward  the 
S^i34e! Third,  in  which  Year  it  rained  in  England  from  Mid- 
fummer  till  Chrijimas.  It  was  not  only  violent  in  our  own 
Country,  but  made  dreadful  havock  all  over  the  World, 
fcarcely  leaving  the  tenth  part  of  Mankind  alive. 
Where  it  began,  and  what  was  then  imagined  to  be  the 
Caufe  of  it,  we  have  elegantly  enough  clefcribed  by 
Fraeajiorius  in  his  Siphilis. 

Bis  centum  flux  ere  Anni  quum  jlammea  Marte 
Lamina  Saturno  trifli  immifcente  per  omnes 
Aurorae  Populosy  -per  que  rigat  JEpuora  Ganges 
Infohta  exarjit  Febris ,  quae  peEore  anhelo 
Sanguineum  Sputum  exagitans ,  miferabile  Eifu , 

Quart  a  Luce  frequens  fato  per  debat  acerbo. 

Which,  for  the  benefit  of  my  Engli/S  Reader,  I  ihall 
thus  tranflate  : 


*  Schenckius  de  Feb.  Peft.  Obf,  118. 


A 


C  i?  ) 

A  Hundred  Tears  twice  told  have  took  their  fight 
Since  Saturn  mix'd  with  Mars  his  hated  Lights 
Who  with  their  hateful  Influence  did  infefi 
The  rich  and  potent  Nations  of  the  Eaft  : 

Hence  rag'd  a  dreadful  Peft,  before  unknown 

Which  f  siz'd  the  Lungs,  and  made  the  Breaft:  itsThrone  $ 

Four  Days  it  tyranniz’d  with  dreadful  Sway, 

When  Life  in  purple  Streams  broke  out,  and  fled  away . 

It  began  in  the  E after n  Parts  of  the  World,  and  paffed 
on  uninterruptedly  to  all  the  Countries  in  the  Well:  5 
fo  univerfal,  fo  great  was  the  Deftruclion,  that  it’s  pro  * 
bable  no  Age  ever  faw  the  like  :  Thofe  indeed,  fpoke 
of  by  Galen,  Thucydides  and  Avenzoar,  are  terrible  enough 
in  themfelves  confider’d  5  but,  when  we  compare 
them  with  this,  our  Admiration  ceafes. 

The  Contagion  was  fo  certain,  that  all  friendly  Offi¬ 
ces  were  forgot  among  Mankind,  the  deareft  Friends 
and  Relations  deferring  each  other  5  and  it  was  fome- 
thing  rare,  if  the  Dead  happened  to  have  Survivors  that 
would  bury  them  5  and  there  were  very  few,  if  any, 
that  were  feiz’d,  that  efcaped. 

When  this  Diftemper  entered  any  Place,  for  the  firft  The  Symy 
two  Months  it  was  accompanied  with  a  Fever ,  Difficulty toms* 
of  Breathing ,  and  Spitting  of  Blood.  The  Difficulty  of 
Breathing  was  fo  great,  that  the  Sick  were  obliged  al¬ 
ways  to  be  in  a  fitting  Pofture,  and  could  fcarce  fwal- 
low  any  thing  of  any  kind  5  they  were  exceeding  reft- 
lefs,  their  Cheeks  red  and  fiery  :  at  firft  they  coughed 
violently,  but  brought  up  no  Blood,  afterwards  a  little, 
and  then  a  confiderable  Quantity  3  in  three  days  time 
they  died.  But  after  the  aforefaid  two  Months,  be- 
fides  the  foregoing  Symptoms,  they  had  Spots  and  Ab- 
jcefies,  and  died  all  in  five  days  time. 

In  procefs  of  time,  when  the  Fury  of  the  Difeafe  be¬ 
gan  to  abate,  the  Lungs  were  affie£led  no  longer,  but 
the  morbifick  Matter  was  thrown  upon  the  Groin ,  Arm- 
pits,  and  behind  the  Ears,  and  was  not  then  fo  mortal. 

It  lafted  five  Years  in  fome  Places,  in  England  nine  5 
there  were  fifty  thoufand  buried  in  oneYear  in  the  Char -  50,000  h li¬ 
ter  Hotife  Church-yard  at  London.  This  was  fucceeded  ln  one 
with  Murrain  of  Cattle,  and  Scarcity  of  all  forts  of  Pro-  on 
vifions. 


*  Schenchus 


¥557“ 


Symptoms* 


(Jure* 


j  $65* 


Symptoms* 
Cure . 


Cm) 

*  Sche whins  tells  us,  the  Conjunction  of  the  Planets^ 
fpoken  of  before,  happened  on  the  28th  Day  of  March 
1 345,  in  the  Sign  Leo ,  too  long  before  to  perfuade  many 
it  was  owing  to  that. 

But  with,  more  Probability  are  thofe  of  this  kind, 
which  happened  in  Germany  in  the  Years  1557  and  1 564, 
afcribed  to  the  different  Conititutions  of  the  Air.  The 
firft  of  which  fucceeded  a  dry  Autumn,  followed  by 
cold  Northern  Winds  j  this  was  attended  with  a  violent 
Cough ,  Difficulty  of  Breathings  and  obtufe  Pains  in  the 
Side :  on  the  third  Day,  or  before,  their  Spittle  was 
bloody,  on  the  fifth,  fixth,  feventh,  or  at  fartheft  the 
eighth,  they  died. 

Thofe  who  were  let  Blood  on  the  firft  or  fecond  Day, 
recover’d  on  the  fourth  or  fifth  3  but  if  Blood-letting 
was  negleffed  till  the  fourth  or  fifth  Day,  it  did  no  Ser¬ 
vice  j. 

That  which  fell  out  in  156  5  was  preceded  with  a 
iharp  Froft,  which  was  more  remifs  in  January ,  when 
the  Diftemper  began,  which  was  fuppofed  to  fill  the 
Air  with  grofs  Vapours,  the  Caufe  of  this  Diftemper. 
Thofe  who  expoied  themfelves  to  the  Air  after  Sun-fet, 
were  fooneft  feiz’d  with  it  3  and,  on  the  contrary,  the 
Mid-day  was  lefs  dangerous,  and  good  Fires  bene¬ 
ficial  **  *  "  # 

||  Sennertus  informs  us,  that  Meteors  of  various  kinds 
were  feen  in  the  Air  all  the  time  the  Difeafe  lafted,  as 
well  as  a  little  before. 

Thofe  who  were  feized  with  this,  had  a  Lever,  Cough , 
Hparfenefs ,  Difficulty  of  Breathing ,  and  obtufe  Pains  in  the 
Side.  The  Cure,  as  before,  chiefly  depended  upon 
Blood-letting  5  which,  if  it  was  feafonable,  to  wit,  the 
firft  or  fecond  Day,  feldom  failed.  The  Bodies  of 
feveral  that  died  were  opened,  and  there  was  found 
a  true  Peripneumonia ,  or  Inflammation  of  the  Lungs. 

I  have  one  thing  remarkable  more  to  add  from  Sen- 
menus,  that  the  Women  who  had  this  Diftemper  in  the 
time  of  Menftruation,  had  intolerable  Pains  in  the  Back, 
and  aim  oft  all  of  them  died. 


*  De  Feb.  Peft.  Obfer.  127. 
t  Doddnaei  Obfer.  Med.  cap.  21. 

**  Schenckius  de  Feb.  Pell.  Obfer.  128. 

11  Sennert.  de  Feb.  Mai. 

Thcfe 


(  *5  ) 

Thefe  Diftempers  were  moft  frequent  in  fome  Parts  of 
Germany  3  in  which  Country  alfo,  in  the  Year  1 516, 
there  wTas  an  Epidemical  Head-ach ,  accompanied  with  a 
kind  of  Diftraflion  and  Giddinefs,  with  Swellings  be¬ 
hind  the  Ears,  which dellroyed  great  Numbers.* 

The  like  Diftemper  prevailed  again  in  the  Year  1557, I557. 
throughout  all  Germany ,  though  not  fo  mortal  as  that 
above-mentioned  in  the  fame  Year?  for  none  died  of 
it  but  Infants  :  The  Symptoms  were  Tains  in  the  Head ,  Symptoms* 
Difficulty  of  Breathing ,  and  Hoarfenefs  in  the  beginning  3 
afterwards  Shivering ,  a  Fever,  and  fo  violent  a  Cough , 
that  it  brought  on  a  Danger  of  Suffocating :  at  iirjf  the 
Cough  was  dry,  without  Spitting  5  but  after  the  feventh, 
or  fourteenth  Day,  the  Spittle  was  much  and  vifcid ,  tho 
fome  had  it  light  and  frothy.  As  the  Spitting  encreafed, 
the  Cough  and  Difficulty  of  Breathing  Icflened.  In  all  Sta¬ 
ges  of  the  Difeafe,  there  was  Weaknefs ,  Wearinefs ,  and 
want  of  Appetite,  together  with  Inquietude ,  Faintnefs, 
and  Watching ,  by  reafon  of  the  vehement  Cough  3  fome 
were  troubled  with  a  Loofenefs ,  others  with  Szveating, 
towards  the  end.  f  It  raged  only  at  one  time  of  the 
Year,  and  feized  on  all  alike,  without  Diftinftion. 

In  the  Cure  of  this,  neither  Blood-letting ,  nor  Turfing,  gHrga 
nor  Alexipharmicks  were  found  of  any  fervice  3  but  Bole 
Ar  maniac,  taken  in  any  Form,  proved  beneficial  to  ap- 
peafe  the  Cough ,  if  joined  to  things  that  promote  Expec¬ 
toration  :  Broths ,  and  moift  Food  was  better  than  at¬ 
tenuating  3  for  the  former  help’d  their  Spitting. 

Wierus  j|  informs,  that  in  1564,  an  Epidemical  Difeafe  Et);jgm;cai, 
aiflicfed  Mankind,  which  was  preceded  by  the  Small-Fox  Difeafe, 
and  Meafles  3  he  fays  it  proved  very  fatal,  depopulating  1 5 <$4 
Towns  and  Cities  3  of  which  Confiantinople ,  Alexandria , 

Leyden ,  London ,  Dantzick ,  Vienna ,  Cologn ,  and  the 
whole  Traft  of  the  upper  Rhine ,  even  unto  ik/z/,  were 
fufficient  Teftimonies.  In  the  Winter,  in  the  /ower 
Rhine ,  People  had  Glandulous  Tumours  on  the  outhde  of 
the  Neck  3  in  the  Summer  following,  Qmnfies,  dangerous, 
and  of  Ihort  Duration :  The  Contagion  of  its  Maligni¬ 
ty  equalled  the  moil  direful  Feftile?ice  3  fome  it  de- 


*  Holler.  Commen.  in  Coac.  Hipp. 
t  Valler  in  Appen.  Loc.  Com*  cap.  2. 
ii  Lib.  Obfer,  Med.  rar, 

ftroyed 


Symptoms* 


Cure » 


(  16  ) 

flroyed  in  one  Day,  others  in  two,  three,  four,  fom® 
few  in  feven  5  thofe  that  pafied  the  eighth  Day  efcaped 

The  Sick  were  fir#  taken  with  a  Vomiting ,  then  a 
Swelling  of  the  Tongue,  afterwards  Lofs  of  Speech ,  and 
great  Difficulty  of  fwallowing  any  thing  in  a  Liquid,  much 
more  in  a  folid  Form  3  after  which,  Suffocation  foon 
followed,  Nothing  extraordinary  appeared  on  theout- 
lide  of  the  Neck.  Our  Author  fays,  that  inwardly 
there  was  a  continued  Defluxion  of  a  virulent  Humour , 
which  occasioned  a  Phrenzy.  Sometimes  the  Difeafe, 
inflead  of  the  Fauces,  would  feize  the  Fleur  a,  or  Lungs  3 
whence  deadly  Pleurifies  and  Peripneumonia  s  would  fol- 

As  to  the  Cure,  Evacuations  and  Blood-letting  were  found 
to  be  dangerous  3  at  lead  the  latter  was  not  fo  fuccefsful 
as  in  the  Year  enfuing,  before  taken  notice  of  Our  Au¬ 
thor  fays,  he  made  ufe  of  Medicines  to  {Lengthen  the 
lower  Parts  again#  the  Defluxion,  to  break  the  Force  of 
the  Poifon,  and  to  apply  to  the  Part  affected,  but  does 
not  fpecify  them  3  in  the  room  of  which  I  fhall  produce 
fbveral  Prefervatives,  that  were  never  made  ufe  of,  and 
collected  that  Year  by  eminent  Phyficians. 


Itfervative*  Bohemiusb  Prefervative  EleHuary. 

Take  Myrrh,  Aloes,  Saffron,  'Bone  of  a  Stags  Heart  *, 
white  Dittany,  of  each  two  Scruples  and  a  half  3 
white  Ginger  half  an  Ounce  3  Camphit  e  a  Dram 
and  a  half 3  Torment'd -Root  an  Ounce  and  two 
Scruples  3  the  Roots  of  Snakeweed  and  Pimpernel 
of  each  a  Scruple  3  Zedoary  two  Ounces  and  two 
'  Scruples  3  Venice-Treacle,  Mthridate,oB  each  three 

Ounces.  With  a  fuflicient  Quantity  of  a  Pejli- 
lential  Water  make  an  Electuary,  of  which  take 
the  cpantity  of  a  Hazle-Nut  in  a  Morning  for  a 
Preservative 3  but  n  infedfed,  aDiam. 


Family  He*  Cafmemsk  Excellent  Prefervative  EleBuary  for  Families . 
fervative.  T<ike  leaves  of  Rue  dry’d  and  powder’d,  a  Hand¬ 

ful  3  of  Sage  the  fame,  half  a  Handful  3  Pim¬ 
pernel-Root  dry’d  and  bruifed,  an  Ounce  and  a 
half  3  Gentian  a  Dram  3  Cardamoms  half  an  Ounces 


*  Matthiolus  commends  this  mightily ,  but  whether  jufily  or  **, 
Ibinownou  Juniper- 


C  17  ) 

Juniper-Berries  an  Ounce  5  Kernels  of  frejb  Wal¬ 
nuts ,  an  Ounce  3  Laurel-Kernes,  the  Outfide  be¬ 
ing  taken  off,  half  an  Ounce  5  Snakeweed  two 
Drams  3  Tormentil-Root  two  Drams  and  a  half  5 
prepared  Bole  Armoniac  half  an  Ounce.  Thefe 
being  bruifed  and  reduced  to  a  Powder,  add  an 
Ounce  of  Vent  ce-Tr  each  mixed  with  half  an 
Ounce  of  Vinegar  of  Rofes ,  and  let  them  again 
be  mixed  and  beaten  in  a  Mortar.  Take  the 
quantity  of  a  Hazle-Nut  four  hours  before  Din¬ 
ner. 

Frefervative  Fills .  Tills . 

Take  Leaves  of  Water  -Germander  a  Dram  and  a 
halt  3  the  I  ops  of  hffer  Centaury ,  Troches  of  Aza- 
nch,  heft  Aloes ,  of  each  a  Dram  5  Tops  of  Maud¬ 
lin,  Wormfeed,  Roman  Coriander-Seed,  Anij e-Seed, 

Cloves ,  of  each  a  Dram  and  12  Grains  5  calcined 
Harts-Horn,  white  Amber,  Seeds  of  Sorrel,  of  each 
half  a  Dram.  Let  all  be  powder’d  by  them- 
felves,  and  afterwards  fprinkied  with  the  Juice 
of  Oranges  mix’d  with  the  fharpeil  Wine  Vinegar 
and  Rof e-Water  in  equal  parts  3  then  dry  them, 
and  repeat  the  fprinkling  feven  times  :  at  lad: 
add  Saffron  twelve  Grains  5  Musk ,  Amber,  of  each 
ten  Grains  5  with  Syrup  of  Oranges  make  a  Mafs 
of  Fills. 

A  Frefervathe  Infufion.  Infufion. 

Take  Bole  Armoniac,  Sealed  Earth,  both  prepared 
with  Rofe -"Water  and  Vinegar,  of  each  fix  Oun¬ 
ces  5  Roots  of  white  Dittany ,  Fimpernel,  Tormen¬ 
t'd,  Valerian,  Zedoary,  Gentian,  of  each  two  Oun¬ 
ces  5  Roots  of  Angelica,  four  Ounces  5  Betony, 
Scabious,  Carduus  BenediBus,  of  each  two  Hand¬ 
fuls.  Let  the  Herbs  and  Roots  be  wafhed  in 
White-Wine,  afterwards  fliced  and  infufed  in 
Vinegar  and  diffill’d  Wine,  of  each  fix  Pints.  To 
this  Infufion  add  of  old  V emce-Treacle  a  Pound. 

Dofe  for^Old  Men  two  Ounces,  for  the  Young  an 
Ounce  and  a  half, 

I  might  add  feveral  mare,  but  it  would  carry  me  be¬ 
yond  my  Defign,  without  giving  any  Light  into  the  Na- 

C  ture 


(  i8  ) 

ture  of  the  Diftemper  5  for  wc  have  no  Account  of  the 
Succefs  of  thefe  la  ft  mentioned  Prefcriptions,  tho’  it’s 
certain  they  were  much  efteemed,  and  in  feme  cafes 
were  probably  of  fervice:  1  Aiall  therefore  only  add 
one  other  made  ufe  of  by  a  Canon  of  Lorain ,  which  he 
made  a  great  deal  of  Money  of,  but  was  at  length,  fays 
my  Author,  purchafed  by  a  certain  Prince  at  a  great 
Price. 

Take  Galen  s'*  Cordial  Powder ,  Sealed  Earth,  of  each 
a  Dram  5  of  Bole  Armoniac  half  an  Ounce  5  of 
Venice-Treacle  three  Ounces  3  Conferee  of  Rofes , 
Borrage,  Buglofs ,  of  each  an  Ounce  3  Syrup  of 
Violets  as  much  as  is  fuflicient  to  make  an  Eletlu- 
ary , 

T4 he  next  Pefiilential  Diftemper  1  fthall  take  notice 
of,  is  the  Hungaric  Difeafe,  called  in  Latin ,  Morbus  Hun - 
gariens  and  Lues  Fannomca.  It  began  in  the  Year  1 5 6^c> 
at  Comorra ,  and  increafed  at  Gewer  in  Hungary ,  where 
the  Chrillian  Powers  were  affembled  under  Maximilian  II. 
againft  the  Turks.  When  the  Soldiers  were  disbanded, 
they  diftributed  the  Contagion  over  almofl  all  Europe , 
but  chiefly  at  Vienna ,  through  which  they  moil  of  them 
paft.  They  fo  infedled  the  Families  where  they  lay, 
and  died  fo  fail  themfelves,  that  the  Streets  w;ere  foon 
filed  with  dead  Bodies,  which  contributed  very  much 
to  fpread  the  Contagion , 

Tho’  this  was  fuppofed  by  jordanus  f  and  others  to  be 
the  flrft  Appearance  of  this  Difeafe,  yet  L angius  11,  who 

*  Species  Letitise  Galeni,  or  Pulvis  Letificans  Galeni,  un* 
dev  which  Titles  you  will  find  it  in  mojl  Difpenfatories,  which 
take  as  follows : 

Take  of  Cloved  Baftl-Seeds,  of  Saffron,  Zedoary,  yellow 
Sanders,  Cloves,  Citron-Peels,  Galangals,  Mace, 
Nutmegs,  Styrax,  of  each  two  Drams  and  a  half ;  Ivory 
Kafpings,  Anifeeds,  Thyme, Dodder  of  Thyme,  Bone 
of  a  Stag’s  Heart,  Pearls,  of  each  a  Dram  ;  Amber- 
greafe,  Musk,  Leaves  of  Gold  and  Silver,  of  each  a 
Semple  :  make  a  Powder . 

Ten  have  this  in  the  new  Edition  of  the  London  Difpenfatory, 
with  the  addition  of  half  a  Dram  of  Pearls  and  Camphhef  and  only 
'half  the  Quantity  of  Gold  and  Silver. 

t  Cap,  ip.  de  Peft.  Phsenom, 

11  Epilh  4.  Par.  1.  in  Cun  CaiX 


Hungaric 

Difeafe, 

1 5  66. 


wras 


(  *9  )  .  , 

was  prefeiit  at  an  Expedition  againd  the  Turks  feme 
Years  before,  deferibes  aDidemper  which  raged  in  the 
Emperor’s  Army,  and  which  Sennertus  *  imagined  to  be 
the  lame  we  are  now  fpeaking  of.  And^if  fo,  I  wonder  he 
did  not  obferve  that  the  lame  Author  mentions  it  as 
having  appear’d  feveral  times  before  :  take  Langius's 
own  words  ?  ‘  This,  fays  he,  is  the  Difeafe  which  in  the 
‘  Autumnal  Seafon  has  lately  io  often  fubdued  the  Soi- 
‘  diers  in  Hungary,  and  which  raged  lo  popularly  a- 
4  monglt  the  Borderers  upon  the  Rhine  ff 

The  Symptoms  of  this  Difeafe  in  the  Year  above-  Symptoms. 
mentioned  were  as  follow  |}.  About  three  or  four  of  the 
clock  in  the  Afternoon  it  began  with  Cold  and  Shiver¬ 
ing,  about  a  Quarter  of  an  Hour  after  Heat  fucceeded, 
which  laded  the  following  Days,  Their  chief  Com¬ 
plaint  was  of  a  Pain  in  the  Plead  5  they  would  alfo  point 
with  their  Finger  to  that  part  of  their  Bread  diredly  a- 
gaind  the  Orifice  of  their  Stomach  5  the  Outlide  was 
hard,  and  would  not  abide  to  be  touched  5  the  firit 
Days  they  had  an  unquenchable  Third  5  the  fecond 
Day,  or  at  fanned  the  third,  they  grew  delirious,  which 
laded  a  confiderable  time  3  they  grew  worfe  about 
Evening,  and  in  the  Night  the  Difeafe  recovered 
drength  3  the  Tongue  was  dry,  the  Lips  ohopt  3  fome  fpit 
Blood,  others  had  a  Critical  Loofenefs.  Deafhefs  was  a 
Sign  of  Recovery  5  Szvellmgs  behind  the  Ears  were  fre¬ 
quent  :  The  word  Onfis  was  Tubercles  on  the  Top  of  the 
Foot,  which  being  open’d,  fpread  themfelves,  and  after¬ 
wards  being  neglecfed,  a  Mortification  enfued.  Some 
recovered  on  the  fourteenth  Day,  others  on  the  twentieth, 
tho’  but  few  3  all  who  did  not  abdain  from  Wine  pe- 
rifhed.  All  had  Spots  like  Flea-bihngs ,  fome  bigger,  fome 
lefs,  chiefly  on  their  Bread  and  about  their  Back-Bone, 
fome  all  over  their  Bodies,  fome  on  their  Shoulders. 

Some  think  that  the  grofs  Hungarian  Air,  the  Filth  Caupt, 
of  the  Camp ,  their  eating  great  Quantities  of  Tijh  and 
grofs  Beef,  their  drinking  unwhole  fome  Water,  and 
Hungarian  Wine  too  immoderately,  gave  Rife  to  this 
Didemper. 

..  "■  ■  11  "  . . 

*  Senner.  de  Morbo  Ungarico. 

t  ‘  Hie  eft  ille  Morbus  qui  Autumni  tempore  in  Pamonia 
4  Milites  praeteritis  annis  toties  debellavit,  6s  crebro  popu- 
*  latim  in  Rheni  Accolas  faevit. 

|{  Jordan,  de  Peft.Ph^nom. 

C  a 


The 


(  20  ) 

The  Havock  that  this  Difeafe  made,  caufed  various 
Remedies  to  be  invented  :  Some  took  the  White  of  one 
Egg,  or  more,  and  having  beaten  it  into  Froth,  would 
add  half  a  Dram  or  a  Dram  of  Saffron  in  Powder,  and 
drink  it  in  two  Ounces  of  Spirit  of  Wine  or  Brandy,  and 
then  wafhed  their  Mouths  with  the  fame,  rubbing  their 
Gums  and  Tongue  till  the  Blood  came  3  this  Method 
was  fometimes  repeated  in  the  Evening,  never  oftener. 

The  following,  fays  5 ordantts ,  has  an  Author  of  greater 
Fame,  whoufed  it  with  good  Succefs :  He  took  twenty 
Leaves  of  the  greater  Hon/leek,  and  carefully  prefs’d 
out  the  Juice,  to  which  he  added  a  Scruple  of  Sal  Armo- 
mac ,  or  a  little  Camphire,  with  a  Pint  and  a  half  of 
Spring-Water?  which  he  gave  to  the  Sick  to  drink  cold 
at  pleafure,  adding  fometimes  a  little  Powder  of  the 
Root  of  Florentine  Orris, 

The  Hungarians  take  Lovage  newly  digged  up,  and 
walh  and  beat  it  with  FIog’s-Greafe  freed  from  Films 
and  walhed  cold  3  then  /have  their  Heads,  and  anoint 
them  with  this  Mixture  :  afterwards  they  take  a  large 
Linen  Cloth  dipped  in  Wine  or  Brandy,  and  cover  the 
Sick  all  over,  who  being  laid  down  in  his  Bed,  is  caufed 
to  fweat  plentifully,  not  without  Pain.  Befides,  they 
take  Garltck  Peeped  in  Vinegar ,  and  rub  the  Balls  of 
their  Hands  and  Soals  of  their  Feet  very  hard,  thinking 
to  divert  the  Difeafe,  u/ing  nothing  be/ides. 

The  Regular  Thy ficians  fir  ft  ufed  gentle  Evacuations  5 
for  which  Intention  they  chiefly  commend  Agarick  in  Va¬ 
riety  of  Forms  3  of  which  take  the  following,  as  grate¬ 
ful  as  any : 

Take  of  Pulp  of  Tamarinds  two  Drams  3  Manila  and 
Cafji a,  each  three  Drams  3  Troches  of  Agaric]? , 
Rhubarb ,  of  each  a  Scruple  3  with  Syrup  of  Rofes 
and  Sugar ,  Sennertus  fays  a  Bolus  muft  be  made  : 
but  it  muft  be  coniefs’d  it  will  be  the  larged  I 
have  met  with.  The  following  is  more  agree¬ 
able  to  that  Form. 

Take  of  Troches  of  Agaric}!,  four  Scruples  3  Oxymsl 
Ample,  Conferee  .of  Rofes,  of  each  a  little  3  Sugar 
as  much  as  fufficient  :  make  a  Bole. 

The  Troches  of  Agarick  you’ll  And  in  any  Edition  of 
the  London  Difpenfatory,  and  therefore  needs  not  to  be 
repeated  here.  Blood - 


♦ 


C  21  ) 

'Blood-letting  was  alfo  prefcribed  the  fir  ft  or  fecond 
Day,  but  after  that  was  thought  dangerous  :  For  Diet 
they  ufed  tart  things,  fuch  as  Jour  Grapes  and  Pomegra - 
nates.  Some  rely’d  much  upon  the  following  Prefcrip- 
tion  : 

Take  Venice-Treacle ,  Mithridate ,  of  each  three  Oun¬ 
ces  5  Zedoary ,  an  Ounce  5  white  Ginger ,  half  an 
Ounce  5  of  the  Roots  of  Torment'd ,  Snakeweed , 
Pimpernel ,  each  three  Drams  ?  Camphire  two 
Drams  5  Myrrh ,  Saffron,  Bone  of  a  Heart , 

Dittany ,  of  each  two  Scruples  and  a  half. 

They  ufed  to  take  a  fmall  Quantity  diffolved  in  equal 
Parts  of  V/ater  and  Vinegar  :  which  way  of  taking  pre- 
fuppofes  the  Ingredients  to  be  powder’d  and  mix’d  with 
the  Treade  and  Mithridate ,  tho  not  mention’d  by  our 
Author. 

There  were  fome  that  only  ufed  to  give  Zedoary  in 
fome  Cordial  Water  with  Succefs.  Others  gave  the 
diftill’d  Water  or  Oeco&ion  of  Vervain  Morning  and 
Evening  till  the  Difeafe  was  conquered. 

For  Drink  they  had  Mixtures  of  a  Decoclion  of  Barley 
or  Harts-horn ,  and  Juice  of  Pomegranates  or  Citrons ,  or 
Spirit  of  Vitriol ,  at  pleafure. 

Schroterus ,  Pro  fen  or  of  Medicine  in  the  Univerfity  of 
Jen  a  in  Germany  when  this  Difeafe  was  rife,  prefcribed 
the  following  Prefervatives.  Prefervatives 

A  Prefervative  Powder.  Powder* 

Take  ol  Zedoary  Roots,  of  white  Dittany ,  Gentian , 

Leaves  ot  Water-Germander,  Carduus  BenediBus , 

Sorrel,  of  each  alike  ?  make  a  Powder.  Dofe  a 
Dram  in  a  Morning  fading  in  Carduus  BenediBus 
Water,  or  in  the  Winter  in  White-Wine. 

A  Prefervative  EleBuary  for  poor  Women  with  Child.  EleBuary. 

Take  of  Tormentil-Roots  and  Elecampane-Root,  each 
fix  Drams  j  Anife  and  Caraway-Seeds ,  of  each  an 
Ounce  and  a  half :  with  clarified  Honey  make  an 
Eie&uary. 

A  Prefervative  Elixir.  Elixir. 

Take,  Cinnamon  an  Ounce  ?  Rofemary ,  Wood-Sorrel , 
Water-Germander,  of  each  half  a  Handful  j  Ange¬ 
lica - 


(  22  ) 

Uca-Root ,  Red  Rofes ,  Lignum  Aloes ,  of  each  a 
Dram  5  yellow  Sander s,  half  a  Dram;  Mace,  of 
both  forts  of  Cardamoms ,  Cloves,  Seeds  of  Sorre/, 
Car  duns  Benediftus ,  Citrons,  of  each  a  Scruple  ? 

eight  Grains  3  reHified  Spirit  of  Wine  xxii 
Ounces  :  let  them  be  almoft  continually  fhaked 
for  fifteen  days  in  a  Glafs  Veffel  clofe  flopp’d  5 
then  firain,  and  add  Syrup  of  Citron-Reels ,  Marma¬ 
lade  of  Quinces,  of  each  two  Ounces  and  a  half 

EkBuary.  A  Frefervative  Nut-EleHuary. 

Take  twenty  Walnuts  5  twenty-five  Pigs  5  of  long 
and  round  Birthwort ,  an  Ounce  and  a  half  5  white 
Dittany  j  Roots  of  Tormentil  and  Fimpernel,  of 
each  two  Drams  and  a  half  5  Leaves  of  Worm¬ 
wood,  Rue,  Scabious,  Afarabacca,  of  each  a  Hand¬ 
ful  ;  Bay-berries,  Citron-Feels,  Galangals,  Mace,  of 
each  a  Dram  }  Borrage-Flbwers,  two  Drams  5  Bone 
of  a  Stags  Heart,  Myrrh,  of  each  a  Dram  ;  clari¬ 
fied  Honey,  a  fwfficient  Quantity  to  make  an  E- 
lecluary,  of  which  the  quantity  of  a  Chefinut  is 
to  be  taken  every  Morning. 

I  /hall  conclude  what  I  have  to  fay  upon  this  Diftem- 
per,  with  obfervirig,  that*  Camay  thinks  they  are  guilty 
of  very  great  Errors  who  do  not  attempt  the  Cure  of  it 
with  proper  Evacuations,  and  Blood-letting,  ratner  than 
Sweating  5  for,  fays  he,  if  we  obferve  Nature,  we  /hall 
find  that  /lie  often  gets  rid  of  her  Enemy  bv  a  Hemor¬ 
rhage  of  the  Nofe,  by  Stool,  by  Urine,  and  Abjceffes,  and 
but  feldom  by  Sweat . 


3596  6® 

3  597)  Fever 
Convuljive. 


Symptoms* 


In  the  Years  15 96  and  1597,  a  Difiemper  was  very 
rife  in  the  Diocefs  of  Cologn,  Wefifhalia,  the  Counties 
W aided ,  and  Wittenjiein ,  and  Hejje,  which  f  Sennertus 
calls  Febris  maligna  cum  S^ajmo^  that  is,  a  ynalignant  Fever 
with  Convulfions  5  tho  he  himfelf  fays,  it  was  foinetimes 
with  and  fometimes  without  a  Fever. 

It  begun  with  Fwitcloing  and  Numbness  in  the  Hands 
and  Feet,  fometimes  on  one  fide,  fometimes  on  both  ; 


*  Conf.Med.  Enchirid.  lib.  2.  cap.p. 
•J-  De  Febre  Malig.  cum  Spafm, 


after 


afterwards  it  convulfed  their  Fingers  and  Toes,  and 
crept  by  degrees  up  their  Arms  and  Legs,  till  at  length 
it  feized  their  whole  Bodies  5  and  the  Sick  was  either 
rolled  up  like  a  Hedghog,  or  lay  dretched  out  at  full 
length  without  Motion.  Thefe  Convulsions  were  atten¬ 
ded  with  violent  Fains,  which  forced  Cries  and  Shrieks 
from  the  Sick.  It  would  take  fome  unawares  at  the 
Table,  and,  as  it  were,  drike  Knives  and  Spoons  out  of 
their  Hands.  It  would  attack  others  at  P lough,  or  a- 
bout  any  common  Bufinefs,  without  any  previous  No¬ 
tice.  Some  alfo  would  be  feized  with  Vomiting  at  firiL 
The  Sick  would  remain  feveral  Days  in  the  Condition 
above  defcribed  3  yea,  fometimes  whole  Weeks  with¬ 
out  having  their  Heads  molefted  3  and,  moreover,  not 
at  all,  if  jit  Remedies  were  feafonably  given  :  But  if  thefe 
were  neglefled,  it  advanced  to  the  Head  3  the  Falling 
Sicknefs  fucceededj  after  a  Fit  of  which,  the  Sick  would 
lie  as  if  they  were  dead  for  fix  or  eight  Hours.  It  ren¬ 
der’d  fome  Jlupid  or  foolijh ,  fome  lethargick ,  others  de -? 
lirious  3  fome  would  remain  fo  four  Days,  others  longer  5 
and  when  they  recovered,  it  was  with  Deafnefs ,  or 
Weaknefs  of  the  Eyes,  if  not  the  Palfy.  When  the 
Fit  was  over,  they  were  all  infatiably  hungry,  greedily 
devouring  Victuals  of  all  forts  5  to  which  a  Loofenefs 
would  fucceed  3  and  the  more  fparingly  they  ate,  the 
greater  it  was.  Some  had  their  Feet  and  Hands  fwelFd, 
others  had  Tubercles  full  of  a  ferous  Humour.  They  ne¬ 
ver  fweated. 

Experience  plainly  /hewed  that  this  Difeafe  was  con¬ 
tagious  3  for  thofe  that  were  converfant  with  the  Sick, 
feldom  or  never  efcaped  free,  tho  the  Contagion  did 
not  prefently  appear  3  for  fome  were  ill  of  it,  tho  not 
even  till  twelve  Months  after. 

This  Difeafe  was  hard  to  cure  3  for  thofe  that  were 
Epileptick ,  had  now  and  then  a  touch  of  it  ever  after  : 
Thofe  that  were  ftupid,  remain’d  fo  till  Death,  without 
ever  recovering  their  former  Vigour  of  Mind.  And  tho 
fome  lived  fifteen  Years  after  their  Recovery,  yet  every 
Year,  in  December  and  January,  they  perceived  fome- 
thing  of  the  Difeafe. 

The  Reader  may  obferve,  that  I  fay  little  or  nothing  Caufe. 
of  what  Phyficians  call  the  proximate  Caufes  of  thefe 
Didempers  3  and  therefore  when  I  talk  of  Caufes,  1 
mud  be  underdood  to  mean  what  is  called  the  Proca - 

tar  tick 


(  24  ) 

tartick  Caufe:  In  this  Senfe  the  Dearth  that  was  in  thefe 
Parts,  which  obliged  Men  to  eat  unwholefome  Food, 
may  be  faid  to  be  the  Caufe  of  this  Difeafe. 

The  Manner  of  Cure  you  fhall  have  from  the  Method 
of  the  Phyfkians  of  the  Univerfity  of  MapvPtjrg  in  Ger¬ 
many  :  Firft  they  gave  an  Ounce  of  the  following  pur¬ 
ging  Elethiary ,  and  four  Hours  after,  Broth ,  wherein 
Rofemary ,  wild  Thyme ,  Sage,  and  Savory  were  boiled  5 
this  they  repeated  thrice. 

Take  of  Diaphmiicon,  four  Ounces  5  EleBmry  of 
the  Juice  of  Rofes ,  two  Ounces  5  Powder  of  Her - 
modaFtils,  -white  Turhith ,  Spurge ,  cleaned  and  cor¬ 
rected,  of  each  a  Dram  5  Diagrydium ,  Cajlor,  of 
each  two  Scruples  5  Coflmary ,  Ginger ,  Cloves,  of 
each  a  Scruple  5  Seeds  of  Rwe  and  Cummin ,  Q/~ 
jfro«,  of  each  half  a  Scruple  5  with  of  Ro/er 

jolutive  make  an  EleHuavy. 

The  Electuary  of  the  Juice  of  Rofes  you  will  find  in 
the  new  London  Difpehfatory  5  the  Diaphcenicon  in  the 

old. 

After  the  Purgation  was  ended,  for  fix  Days  after  the 
Sick  took  of  the  following  Powder  againit  Convulfions. 

Take  of  Roots  of  Swallow-wort ,  Elecampane ,  De¬ 
vil's  Bit ,  Clove  July-Flowers,  Peony,  ot  each  an 
Ounce  and  a  half  5  Bay-Berries ,  an  Ounce  5  Tops 
of  Sage,  -wild  Thyme ,  Rofemary  Flowers ,  of  each 
two  Drams  5  Species  Diamojchu  dulcis  $  Species 
Pliris  Arthonticon ,  and  Dianthus ,  of  each  a  Dram 
and  a  half.  Make  a  Powder. 

The  Species  Plir.  Arch,  if  you  pleafe,  you  may  fee  in 
the  Augufian  Difpenj atory  5  the  Dianthus  is  in  the  new 
Edition  of  the  London  one  j  but  the  Diamofchu  is  only 
in  the  old* 

The  Day  after  either  of  the  Quarters  of  the  Moon , 
they  again  took  a  Dofe  of  the  Purging  EleBuary ,  and 
then  the  Powder  again  for  fix  Days  more,  and  then  a- 
gain  the  purging  Ele&uary,  obferving  the  Phafes  of  the 
Moon  for  a  Month .  Afterwards  every  Month,  the  Day 
before  the  new  Moon,  but  efpecially  in  December  and 
January ,  they  took  a  Dram  of  the  Powder  againft  Con¬ 
vulfions.  Their  Drink  was  medicated  with  Roots  of 
Elecampane ,  Peony ,  Sage,  Rue ,  Juniper-Berries. 


(  25  ) 

They  ordered  Flowers  of  Lavender  and  Primrofes ,  Sage, 

Rue,  Betony ,  Cafior,  to  be  fteeped  in  Spirit  of  Wine  ? 
with  which  their  Limbs  were  fuppled  after  they  had 
been  rubbed  with  a  hot  Linnen  Cloth.  If  the  Convul- 
fions  of  the  Feet  were  vehement,  they  were  to  be  wafh’d 
in  Lotions  made  of  Betony ,  wild  Thyme ,  Camomile  Flowers 
and  Primrofes. 

In  the  Time  of  the  Fit  they  made  ufe  of  the  Infu- 
lion  and  Linnen-Cloth  before  mentioned  j  but  if  that 
did  not  do,  the  Limb  was  bound  hard  till  the  Convul- 
fion  ceafed.  They  alfo  at  the  fame  time  exhibited  to 
the  Sick  a  Dram  of  the  Powder ,  or  half  an  Ounce  of 
the  following  Antidote  again (l  Convulsions. 

Take  oi  Peony -Roots,  of  Mifletoe ,  each  two  Ounces  j 
Cafior ,  Sage,  of  each  an  Ounce  5  Bay-Berries,  Man's 
Skull  prepared,  of  each  two  Drams  5  Venice  Trea¬ 
cle,  Mithridate ,  of  each  a  Pound  j  clarified  Honey, 
two  Pound  :  make  an  EleFuiry. 

The  Day  following  they  took  half  an  Ounce  of  the 
Purging  ElePuary,  and  continued  the  Cure  as  before. 

I  cannot  perfuade  myfelf  to  pafs  by  that  Diftemper^offe^Fevm 
called  in  England  the  Spotted  Fever,  becaufe  *  Fracajlorius 
mentions  it  as  a  new  Difeafe,  which  as  he  imagined 
made  its  firft  appearance  in  Italy  in  the  Year  1505,  and 
return’d  1528,  and  thought  it  came  nearer  to  the  Na¬ 
ture  of  Malignant  than  Peflilential  Fevers :  But  f  Langius 
cenfures  him  for  it,  and  not  only  denies  that  this  is  a 
new  Diftemper,  but  alfo  affirms  that  all  others  which 
are  faid  to  be  fo,  are  no  more  than  old  ones  revived, 
which  had  lain  dormant  for  fome  time. 

This  Difeafe  is  contagious,  but  not  quickly  fo,  nor  at  &  Contagious* 
diftance  5  but  only  by  touching  of  the  Sick.  It  was  fo 
mild  when  any  body  was  firft  taken,  that  the  SicL 
would  fcarcely  admit  a  Phyfician,  and  the  Phyficians 
themfelves  were  not  feldom  deceived  with  it. 

But  after  a  while  the  Signs  of  a  malignant  Fever  be-  Symptoms* 
gan  to  difeover  themfelves  :  The  Fleat,  indeed,  was  not 
fenfibly  great,  but  the  Perturbation  which  the  Sick  felt 

*  Lib.  2.  cap.  6,  7.  de  Contag,  Morb, 

t  Lib.  2.  Epif.  15. 

through- 


D 


(2<5) 

throughout  his  whole  Body  was  very  evident,  which  was 
attended  with  a  great  Wearinefs  like  that  of  a  Perfon 
tired.  The  Sick  lay  fupine  in  their  Bed,  their  Heads 
were  heavy,  their  Senfes  dull,  and  after  the  fourth  or 
ieventh  Day  they  began  to  talk  wildly  and  much,  their 
Eyes  being  red  and  fiery.  At  firli  their  Urine  was  whi- 
tijh ,  afterw  ards  red  and  troubled :  The  Fulfe  was  flow, 
the  Excrements  corrupt  and  fetid.  On  the  fourth  or  fe- 
venth  Day  little  red  Spots  like  Flea-bitings  began  to  ap- 
appear  on  their  bach ,  Jrmsy  and  Breajis.  They  had 
little  or  no  Thirf£,  their  Tongues  were  foul  3  fome  were 
wakeful,  others  ileepy.  Others  again  both  by  turns. 
This  State  lalled  in  fome  to  the  feventh  Day,  in  others 
to  the  fourteenth  or  longer. 

It  was  fatal  to  a  few  Women,  to  a  very  few  Old 
Men,  but  not  one  that  was  a  Jew  perifhed.  Young  Ivlen 
and  Boys  had  the  grpateft  lhare  of  its  ill  Effedls,  and 
amongil  thofe  the  wealthier  lort. 

If  the  Sick  felt  his  Strength  to  fail  on  a  hidden,  if  after 
a  Cnfis  no  Alleviation  of  the  Symptoms  followed,  if 
there  was  a  Stoppage  of  Urine,  if  the  Spots  lay  hid,  or 
came  out  llowly,  or  were  livid  5  if  any  or  all  of  thefe 
Signs  happen’d,  the  Sick  were  judged  irrecoverable  : 
but  the  contrary,  if  the  contrary  Signs  appeared. 

As  Authors  are  divided  about  the  proximate  Caufe  of 
this  Diftemper,  fo  they  are  about  its  Cure.  Riverius 
*  thinks  if  you  know  how  to  manage  this,  you  will 
know  how  to  deal  with  the  Plague  and  all  other  Pefti- 
lential  Dijiempers ,  and  for  that  Reafon  only  infills  upon 
this.  Some  are  for  Evacuations ,  fome  for  Alexiphar- 
mich ,  and  others  for  both  ?  of  this  lad  fort  is  Senticrtus , 
whofe  Method  of  Cure  I  will  prefent  you  with.  Only 
obferve  by  the  way,  that  Langius  f  fays  he  himfelf  cured 
three  Perfons  of  this  Diifemper  only  with  gentle  Cathar- 
tich  and  a  proper  Diet. 

The  above- mention’d  Author  advifes  firft  to  loo  fen 
the  Belly  with  Syrup  of  Rofes  folutive ,  Infufion  of  Rhu¬ 
barb,  Cream  of  Tartar ,  ExtraE  of  Rhubarb ,  to  any  of 
which  a  little  Camphire  may  be  added,  or  with  the  fol¬ 
lowing  Potion. 


*  De  Feb.  Peih 
t  Elbe  2*  Epift.  15. 

Take 


. .  (  27  ) 

Take  Roots  of  Viper-Grafs ,  half  an  Ounce  5  Leaves 
of  Sorrel ,  half  a  Handful  5  Carduus  Bcnedi&us,  Wa¬ 
ter  Germander,  of  each  a  Pugii  3  Leaves  of  Senna, 
half  an  Ounce  3  half  a  Dram  of  Rhubarb  3  Ze- 
doary ,  Gzrozz- Seeds,  of  each  half  a  Scruple  5  G/z- 
ncimon ,  a  Scruple  3  of  the  Cordial  Flowers,  each  a 
Pugii.  Infufe  in  a  fufficient  Quantity  of  Water, 
ft  rain  and  diffolve  in  it  hall  an  Ounce  of  Sian  n  a  3 
to  which  add  half  an  Ounce  of  Syrup  of  Rojes  foL 
and  two  Drops  of  Spirit  of  Vitriol. 

He  leaves  Blood-letting  to  the  Judgment  of  the  Phy¬ 
sician,  but  would  not  have  it  meddled  with  after  the 
fourth  Day  :  he  would  have  the  Sick  be  kept  in  a  pretty 
warm  Room,  and  make  ufe  of  the  following  Sudor  ificks. 

Take  of  the  Seeds  of  Navew,  or  long  Tumeps,  a 
Dram  3  of  Citron  and  Carduus  BenediStus  Seeds, 
each  half  a  Dram  3  Carduus  Benediffus  Water, 
three  or  four  Ounces  :  make  an  Emulfion  3  to 
which  add  Syrup  of  the  Juice  of  Water  Germander 
half  an  Ounce.  Or, 

Take  Seeds  of  long  Tumeps,  a  Dram  3  Citron  and 
Carduus  BenediBus  Seeds,  calcined  Harts-Horn ,  of 
each  half  a  Dram  3  Bone  of  a  Stag's  Heart,  Ze- 
doary ,  of  each  a  Scruple  :  make  a  Powder,  of 
which  give  a  Dram  in  any  convenient  Vehicle. 
Or, 

Take  of  Bole  Armoniac ,  fealed  Earth,  Tormentil-Root 
Roots  of  Butter-burr ,  Pimpernel,  Water-Germander , 
calcined  Harts-Horn  prepared,  of  each  a  Dram  : 
make  a  Powder. 

In  Ihort,  he  concludes,  that  whatever  is  of  ufe  in 
promoting  the  Small-Pox ,  in  the  Cure  of  the  Plague  and 
Pellilentiai  Difteimpers,  will  be  of  fervice  here. 

Riverius  *  propofes  to  encounter  the  Fever  with  cooling 
and  moifiening  Medicines ,  the  fuppofed  putrid  State  of 
the  Humours  with  Evacuating  and  Alter  alive,  and  the 
malignant  Quality  with  Alexipharmich^  or  Expellers  of 
Poifon. 


*  De  Febi  Pelf. 


Tho,  notwithstanding  his  fird  Intention  he  allowed 
the  Ufe  of  Wine  to  thofe  whofe  Tongue  was  moift, 
and  who  were  not  thirdy,  with  good  Succefs  :  and 
moreover  he  fays  he  did  this  in  the  Year  1623  at  Mont- 
felher,  where  after  the  Siege  a  Difeafe  raged  of  fo 
great  Malignity,  that  it  wanted  nothing  but  Buboes  in 
the  Groin  to  make  it  a  true  Plague  3  for  there  were  not 
only  Wheals  and  Spots,  red,  livid  and  black,  but  Swel¬ 
lings  behind  the  Ears  and  Carbuncles  :  it  dedroy’d  at 
leaft  a  third  part  of  thofe  that  were  Seized  with  it. 
Thofe  who  had  an  intenfer  Fever,  whofe  Tongues  were 
dry,  rough  or  black ,  or  who  were  thirfly ,  he  forbid  the 
TJfe  of  \Vine  to. 

He  afterwards  relates  an  Experiment  which  he  made 
upon  the  following  Occafion.  He  obferved  that  all 
thofe  that  had  Forotides,  or  Swellings  behind  the  Ears, 
which  would  appear  on  the  ninth  or  eleventh  Day,  died 
in  two  days  :  thefe  upon  trial  would  neither  yield  to 
Sudorificks  nor  Topicks,  which  caufed  him  to  think  of 
fome  other  Method,  After  reafoning  with  hirnfelf,  he 
refolved  upon  Blood-letting  5  but  being  fearful  of  the 
Event,  he  only  ventured  upon  two  Ounces  at  frit,  and 
finding  the  Succefs  anfwerable,  he  ordered  f  x  more  to 
be  taken  away,  which  appeared  to  be  corrupt  >  the  next 
day  he  prefcribed  a  looiening  Medicine,  which  com- 
pleated  the  Cure,  and  delivered  the  Sick  from  the  Con¬ 
fines  of  Death. 


3583.. 

Difentery 

Malignant' 


The  Summer  of  the  Year  1583*  being  hot  and  dry,  it 
was  Succeeded  with  a  Difentery  or  bloody  Flux  of  a  malig¬ 
nant  nature,  which  Spread  in  Germany  far  and  near,  and 
laded  to  the  End  of  the  Autumn.  It  was  obferved 
chiefly  to  infell  Boys ,  of  whom  many  died  5  it  alfo  laid 
hold  of  a  great  many  more  advanced  in  Years,  but 
thefe  with  proper  Remedies  moilly  recovered.  The 
mod  gentle  Purgatives  and  Clyfters  were  found  profita¬ 
ble  :  Great  numbers  alfo  made  ufe  of  calcined  Harts- 
Horn  and  Bole  Armoniac.  Wine  was  hurtful  by  reafon 
of  the  Fever .  When  the  Evacuations  were  too  great, 
Extrail  of  Opium  was  found  of  Service.  When  the 
Stools  were  extremely  bilious,  and  in  great  plenty,  to- 


f  Schenckius  Obferv.  de  Feb.  131* 


geth  er 


t  29  ; 

gether  with  want  of  Appetite  and  Vomiting, 
little  Hope  left. 

Dr.  Willis  *  obferves,  that  Malignant  Fevers  of  late  Malignant 
Years  have  been  greater  Strangers  in  England  than  th.&FevSh  1643 
Flague  itfelf  5  and  he  fays,  the  only  one  that  he  ob- 
ferved  begun  in  the  Army  in  the  Year  1643,  when 
Reading  was  befieged  by  the  Earl  of  Effex.  It  took  off 
a  great  many  of  the  Earl  of  Effex* s  Army  5  nor  did  it 
lpare  the  King's,  while  it  was  quarter’d  in  and  about 
Oxford :  at  lad  it  grew  rife  among  the  Citizens,  and  in- 
felled  the  Villages  ten  miles  round.  After  the  Summer 
Soljiice  it  raged  mod,  and  the  Symptoms  grew  worfe,  in¬ 
fo  much  that  the  Number  of  thofe  that  were  well,  were 
fcarce  enow  to  wait  on  the  Sick :  it  was  moll  fatal  to 
the  Old  and  Unhealthy,  tho’  it  took  off  of  Boys,  Young 
Men  and  Middle-aged  Perfons,  not  a  few. 

At  firft  it  appeared  like  a  putrid  Synochus  3  and  when  Symptoms. 
a  Sweat  or  a  Loofenefs  had  feemed  to  carry  it  off,  it 
would  prefently  gather  llrength  again.  Often  when  the 
Deflagration  of  the  Blood  had  continued  for  fix  or  fe- 
ven  Days,  it  would  remit,  and  inflead  of  a  Crifes ,  the 
adufl  Matter  was  tranflated  to  the  Brain,  which  held 
the  Sick  a  long  time,  fome times  with  Madnefs ,  but 
oftener  with  Stupidity ,  great  Weaknefs  and  convulfive 
Motions,  fo  that  at'  lafl  they  hardly  efcaped.  About 
the  middle  of  the  Summer  the  Signs  of  a  Peftilential 
Diftemper  began  to  appear  plainly  3  for  tho’  it  was  con¬ 
tagious  and  mortal  before,  yet  now  Spots  and  Fuftules 
began  to  appear.  Some  had  a  weak,  unequal ,  irregular 
Fulfe ,  without  any  great  Fever,  attended  with  a  fudden 
Dejedlion  of  Strength .  Others,  who  were  taken  after 
the  fame  manner,  had  Spots  appeared  upon  them, 
fometimes  little  and  red,  fometimes  broad  and  livid  3 
and  many  had  Buboes  as  in  the  Flague ,  feme  of  whom 
without  any  apparent  Fever  and  without  draggling  died 
fuddenly  and  at  unawares,  while  others  would  rage  and 
druggie  as  if  under  frightful  Agonies.  Thofe  that  efca¬ 
ped,  not  having  any  laudable  Crifes ,  were  affefled  with 
DuUnefs  of  the  Senfes,  Tremblings,  Weaknefs  of  the  Limbs 
and  Convulhve  Motions  for  a  long  time. 


*  De  Yebribus. 


While 


(  3°  )  f 

While  the  Dog-Davs  tailed,  this  Difeafe  was  fo  fatal, 
that  it  was  not  treated  as  a  Fever,  but  as  a  milder 
Plague,  only  with  AlexiPhar milks.  Blood-letting  was  be¬ 
lieved  to  be  fatal  5  Vomits  and  Purgatives  were  fome- 
times  ufed,  tho’  not  often.  But  the  Cure  chiefly  de¬ 
pended  on  Alexiterials,  and  promoting  a  feafonable 
Sweat.  ’Twas  now  the  Countefs  o f*  Kent's  Pow7der 
began  to  be  in  great  Efteem  in  this  Country  5  and  alfo 
another  of  an  A  di-colour,  which  a  certain  Perfon  who 
was  at  Oxford  accidentally,  gave  with  good  Succefs,  and 
fold  at  a  great  Price.  After  the  Sick  had  drank  half  a 
Dram  of  this  Powder  in  any  Liquor,,  they  were  wont  to 
fall  into  a  great  Sweat,  and  fo  were  delivered  from  the 
Virulence  of  the  Diitemper.  This  Powder,  as  Dr.  Willis 
was  afterwards  inform'd  by  a  Kinfman  of  the  Man’s, 
was  the  Powder  of  a  Toad  cleanfed  w7ith  Salt,  and 
walked  in  good  Wine,  and  a  little  calcined  in  an 
Earthen  Pot.  Before  the  Autumnal  Quarter  was  ended, 
the  Difeafe  abated  much  of  its  Fury  ,  as  fewer  were 
lick  of  it,  fo  alfo  more  of  thofe  few  that  were  Pick  re¬ 
covered  $  till  at  length  the  Winter  came  on,  and  the 
Fever  almoft  wholly  vamfhed,  and  the  former  State  of 
Health  return’d,  both  in  the  City  and  the  Country 
round  about  it. 

Sennertus]  takes  notice  of  Fevers  of  this  kind,  which  ap¬ 
peared  in  1 5  5 1  and  1 580,  which  did  not  only  over-run  all 


*  The  Powder  is  made  as  follows  : 

Take  the  black  Tips  of  Crabs  Claws  gathered  in  June, 
Contrayerva-Root,  of  each  two  Ounces  \  Pearls,  red 
and  white  Coral,  Crabs-Eyes,  all  ground  with  the 
Juice  of  Lemmons ,  of  each  an  Ounce  ;  white  Amber  and 
Chryftal  ground  very  fins  in  Rofe-Wdter  and  dry  d,  of  each 
an  Ounce ;  Harrs-Horn  calcined  to  the  great ejl  Whitenefs , 
;  and  ground  with  the  Juice  of  Citrons  well  fbarpened  with 
the  Spirit  of  Vitriol  and  dry  d,  an  Ounce  ;  Occidental 
Bezoar,  Earth  of  Lemnos,  of  each  an  Ounce  and  a  half ; 
Cerufs  of  Antimony,  two  Ounces ;  Ambergreafe  aVram 
and  a  half ;  Musk,  half  a  Scruple  :  let  all  be  well  mined 
together  with  Jelly  of  Vipers  Skins  and  Harts-Horn,  and 
made  with  Carduhs-Water,  and  a  little  tinged  with  Saf¬ 
fron  :  divide  it  into  little  Palls,  dry  carefully  and  keep  for 

t  Senn.  4e  Febrib. 


Europe , 


Europe ,  but  almoft  all  the  World  $  and  again  in  1 616, 
which  was  preceded  by  an  extraordinary  Heat :  he  fays  it 
was  Epidemical  to  all  Germany ,  and  at  Wittenberg  there 
was  not  a  Houfe  that  did  not  feel  the  E£fe£ls  of  it,  even 
in  fome  Houfes  they  would  be  all  ill  at  a  time  5  and 
yet.  tho’  this  was  both  Contagions  and  Epidemical ,  there 
was  fcarce  the  fix  hundredth  died. 

Our  Author,  as  well  as  Willis ,  lays  the  greatefl:  ftrefs 
upon  Sudorijicks  in  the  Cure  ?  and  if  he  advifes  other 
things,  it  is  upon  particular  Occaflons,  and  for  the  Suc- 
cefs  of  them  appeals  to  Experience.  Horfiius  *  com¬ 
mends  Opiates  in  Malignant  Fevers  of  all  forts,  and  would 
have  no  yllexipharmich  compounded  without  them. 

Platerus  f  mentions  a  malignant  Fever  which  raged  J572* 
at  Bajil  in  1572,  which  was  chiefly  fatal  to  Men  that 
were  of  robufl  Conflitutions,  rarely  meddling  with  Wo¬ 
men,  the  Younger  Sort,  or  Infants.  It  feized  Men  with, 
a  fudden  Weaknefs,  after  it  had  imitated  a  continual 
putrid  Fever ,  and  was  fatal  to  raoft  5  who,  before  their 
Deaths,  had  Spots  appeared  on  their  Bodies.  There 
were  no  Buboes  or  Carbuncles  found  in  any.  The  Intempe¬ 
rate  were  foonefl:  infe&ed.  Thole  that  it  was  fatal  to, 
died  on  the  tenth,  eleventh,  or  twelfth  Day,  fcarce 
any  reached  the  fourteenth  5  thofe  that  evaded,  were 
fix  Weeks  before  they  entirely  recovered  5  and  the  Fe¬ 
ver  difappeared  in  about  half  that  Time. 

Montuus ,  |j  in  his  Halojis  Febrium ,  gives  us  an  account  Hetti 
of  a  Difeafe,  which  he  calls  a  HeBick  Pejhlence ,  in  the ulenct 
Year  1525,  which  raged  at  Leyden,  and  Vienna  5  the 


( w. ) 

pained,  and  the  Skin  was  livid,  under  which  the  Car * 
bunch  was  fomething  Deep.  Very  few  of  thoie  efcaped e 
Some  that  feemed  to  be  recovered  for  feveral  Mouths, 
relapfed  again  5  yet  even  lb  me  of  thefe  were  cured.  It 
was  iikewife  found,  that  black  Spots  were  worfe  than  ei¬ 
ther  Carbuncle  or  Bubo .  Blood-letting  was  found  to  be  hurt¬ 
ful  5  but  the  Application  of  Leeches  to  the  Hemorrhoidal 
Veins  was  beneficial.  It  is  alfo  worth  obferving,  that 
many  who  were  about  the  Sick  for  twenty  Days,  of  a 
Month,  and  lived  with  them,  and  felt  no  Damage, 
would  be  afterwards  feized  with  the  Difeafe,  and  die 
fuddenly.  Blood-letting  was  often  beneficial,  by  wav  of 
Prevention,  but  Lenitives ,  and  Sudonfcks,  and  AlexL 
pharmicks  never  failed. 

Having  now  gone  over  the  motf  remarkable  Pefli- 
iential  Diftempers  that  Authors  have  taken  notice  of, 
it  will  not  be  amifs  to  fubjoin  fome  Obfervations  con¬ 
cerning  the  Nature  of  Contagion,  which  may  ferve  the 
better  to  explain  the  Nature  of  the  Pejlilence  itfelf. 

BenediStus  f  a  Fhyfician  of  Verona ,  informs  us,  that  in 
the  City  of  Venice,  in  the  time  of  the  Plague,  a  Quilt 
was  thrown  into  a  by-place,  and  being  fought  again  fe- 
ven  Years  after,  the  Servants  that  found  it  were  imme¬ 
diately  infedled  with  the  Plague. 

In  the  Year  1511,  when  Verona  was  held  by  the 
Germans,  there  arofe  a  Peftilence,  which  deflroyed  ten 
thoufand  Perfdns  5  and  no  lefs  than  twenty-five  Germans 
were  infedted  with  one  Leather  Garment.  H  Our  Au¬ 
thor  fays,  He  himfelf  remembers,  that  when  a  cer¬ 
tain  Woman  brought  fome  Clothes  out  of  Zeland  to  Jlc- 
meria,  a  Town  in  Germany,  and  having  expofed  them 
without  the  Walls  to  the  Sun,  fome  Children  that  play¬ 
ed  upon  them  were  infedled,  and  all  died. 

At  *  jujlinopolis  in  Italy,  after  the  Peftilence  had  cea- 
fed,  fome  Cords  that  were  made  ufe  of  about  burying 
the  Dead  were  thrown  behind  a  Box  in  fome  part  of 
the  Church,  which  being  cleanfed,  about  twenty  or 
thirty  Years  after,  upon  fome  particular  Occafion,  the 
Cords  were  again  brought  to  light,  which  a  Servant 


f  Lib.  de  Pefte,  cap.  3* 

li  Foreft.  Schol.  ad  Obferv.  22.  lib.  6.  de  Feb® 

*  Trincavel.  lib.  3.  ConfiL  17. 


took 


C  33  ) 

$ook  up,  as  thinking  them  fit  for  Bell-Ropes ,  and  by  that 
means  fell  into  a  Pejlilential  Fever,  which  infected  o- 
thers,  which  was  fucceeded  by  the  Death  of  ten  thou- 
fand  Perfons. 

*  Forejlus  tells  us  of  a  Man  that  was  inferred  by 
touching  a  Spider's  Web ,  which  occafioned  a  Pujiule ,  and 
thence  the  Peflilence  3  and  this,  tho  there  was  no  Per- 
ion  died  in  the  Houfe  fix  Months  before,  and  the  Houfe 
had  been  cleanfed  in  all  Places  but  that. 

In  the  Year  \  1 542,  at  Breflau ,  5900  died  of  the  Plague 
in  twenty-two  Weeks  time,  which  lay  hid  in  fome  Lin- 
nen  14  Years,  which  being  opened  at  another  Place,  a- 
gain  fpread  the  Inflexion. 

Some  Authors  have  feemed  to  reflrain  the  Return 
of  the  Plarue  to  iome  Places  to  a  certain  Number  of 

o  - 

Years  3  but  this  is  a  mere  Fancy,  and  contrary  to  Rea- 
fon  and  Experience.  The  Account  that  Platerus\\  gives 
of  the  Return  of  the  Plague  to  Bafil  feven  times  in  fe- 
venty  Years,  leems  moll:  to  favour  this  Opinion  of  any 
thing  that  I  have  met  with  :  But  Flaterus ,  with  good 
reafon,  afcribes  this  to  the  Confluence  of  Strangers  to 
that  City,  amongfl:  whom  infected  Perfons  might  proba¬ 
bly  come. 

It  happened  in  England  in  1603,  and  returned  again 
in  1615  3  in  which  Year  there  died  of  it  41,313  Perfons, 
being  the  fame  Number  that  were  deilroyed  in  the 
afore-mentioned  Year  5  and,  what  is  as  remarkable, 
they  were  both  faid  to  begin  in  the  fame  Houfe,  and 
on  the  fame  Day  of  the  Month.  Forty  Years  after,  to 
wit,  in  the  Year  1665,  began  that  extraordinary  and  me¬ 
morable  Plague,,  which  in  a  little  above  a  Year  killed 
100,000  Perfons  3  fince  which  time,  which  is  nigh  60 
Years,  we  have  been  fo  happy  as  to  be  free  from  it  3 
which  makes  it  plain,  that  there  is  no  Hated  Period  of 
its  Return,  as *  **  Sydenham  feemed  to  intimate. 


*  Obfer.  lib.  6.  Obf.  22. 
t  Sen.  de  Feb. 

II  Plater.  Obfer.  lib.  2. 

**  Hunc  orbem  noftrum  Britannicum  Peftis  vix  frequen- 
tius,  quam  poll  annorum  circiter  quadraginta  intervalla 
fummo  Perniciei  Vigore,  ac  tota  furiarum  Acie  adoriatur. 


E 


Of 


(  34  ) 

Of  this  laft  mentioned  Plague  I  need  not  fay  any ' 
tiling,  becaufe  there  are  Accounts  of  it  lately  pub- 
liihed  $  and  it  is  not  my  Dehgn  to  interfere  with  any 
body. 


PART 


(  ?s  ) 


PART  II. 

Of  the  Methods  to  prevent, 
or  cure  the  Plague. 


CANNOT  tell  how  to  call  it  the  Un- 
happinefs  of  the  Thyficians  of  the  preient 
Age,  that  they  treat  of  a  Diltemper 
which  they  themfelves  never  had  the 
Opportunity  of  obferving  :  But  this  I 

_ _  muff  fay,  that  if  they  did  not  wholly 

depend  on  the  Faithfulnefs  and  Abilities  of  others,  they 
might,  with  fomething  more  of  Certainty,  elfablilh  a 
Method  of  Cure.  There  would  indeed  be  no  great 
reafon  to  fear  the  Accounts  which  others  give  of  the 
Progrefs  of  the  Difeafe,  and  the  Succefs  of  Remedies, 
if  they  had  not  been  Favourers  of  fome  Hypothecs 
or  other,  whofe  Foundation,  to  fay  no  more,  is  very  un¬ 


certain. 

All  that  I  fhall  do  therefore  in  this  Part,  is  to  exa¬ 
mine  the  Writings  of  different  Authors,  and  faithfully 
relate  what  they  have  agreed  to  be  beneficial;  and 
which  they  declare  to  be  fo,  not  from  uncertain  Gueb 
fes,  but  from  often-repeated  Experiments . 

One  great  Property  of  the  Plague ,  is,  that  it  is  con¬ 
tagious  5  which  leaves  us  no  room  to  doubt  of  the  Ex- 

E  z  iilence 


) . 

iftence  of  fomething  which  has  the  Efife&s  of  Poifon  ? 
what  this  is,  or  the  Nature  of  it,  has  not  been  fuffici- 
ently  explain’d  by  Authors.  Some  have  thought  it  to 
be  the. Egg*  of  Infers  3  others  a  Poifon, of  the  Nature  of 
Arfemck  3  others  again,  fomething  arifing  from  the  Fu~ 
trefaBi'tin  of  a  Human  Body.  However,  this  is  certain, 
that  it  is  fomething  very  fine  and  fubtle,  and  that  it 
will  lie  lodged  in  Clothes,  or  fuch  like  things,  for  feve- 
ral  Years  together. 

We  may  farther  obferve,  that  Authors  generally  talk 
of  a  FutrefaBion ,  or  Stagnation  of  the  Air,  and  a  Difpo- 
fition  of  the  Air  to  Contagion  \  or  elfe,/«y  they,  it  can¬ 
not  be  conceived  how  the  Plague  would  ever  end, 
without  the  total  Definition  of  the  whole  Nation 
where  it  raged.  But  it  feems  pretty  eafy  to  me  to  con¬ 
ceive,  how  Particles  of  different  Natures  might  abound 
in  the  Air  fucceftively,  without  either  the  Corruption, 
or  Stagnation  of  the  Air  itfelf  :  and  moreover  it  may  be 
queftioned,  how  the  Corruption  of  the  Air  is  ended,  as 
well  as  how  the  Plague  would  end,  if  it  was  not  cor¬ 
rupted.  All  that  Experience  helps  us  in  this  Cafe,  is, 
that  in  the  Heat  of  Summer  this  Difeafe  commonly  rages 
more  than  in  the  Cold  of  Winter. 

But  let  this  be  as  it  will,  it  is  certain,  that  the  Bodies 
of  Perfons  muff  be  in  a  certain  manner  predifpofed  to 
be  capable  of  receiving  Infe&ion  :  This  is  evident  from 
Fejlilential  Diftempers  affixing  particular  forts  of  Per¬ 
fons  more  than  others  3  and  fome  have  been  in  the 
greateft  feeming  Danger,  and  yet  have  efcaped  :  Thus 
*  Schenkius  tells  us  of  a  Child  that  fucked  two  Nurfes, 
which  died  of  the  Plague,  and  yet  never  was  infefled 
with  it.  And  befides,  we  find,  that  when  the  moft 
dreadful  Plagues  have  raged,  there  has  fill  fome 
one  orr  another  been  found  hardy  enough  to  wait  on 
the  Sick,  without  any  ill  Confequence.  Fallopius  f  fays, 
that  fome  Fellows  that  attended  upon  the  Sick,  in  the 
time  of  the  Plague,  ufed  no  other  Frefervative  than 
chewing  a  little  Ginger  in  the  Morning,  then  drinking 
fome  Wine,  and  afterwards  chewing  Zedoary  the  reft  of 
the  Day.  Droetus  fl,  a  French  Fhyfician ,  alfo  tells  us, 


*  Qbferv.  de  Feb.  149. 
f  De  Bubon.  Peftilent.  Cap.  13. 
il  Confii.  de  Peft.  cap.  10. 

that 


( 37 ) 

that  there  were  fome  Villains  condemn’d  to  Death  by 
the  Magiftrates  of  Lions  for  propagating  the  Plague, 
who  confefled  when  they  came  to  die,  that  they  ufed  no 
other  Method  to  prefervethemfelves,  than  the  eating  of 

a  roafted  Walnut . 

If  fuch  a  necejfary  Predifpofition  of  the  Body  to  receive 
Infection  be  allowed,  as  there  is  all  the  Reafon  in  the 
World  to  believe  there  fhould,  it  would  be  a  Matter  of 
the  greateft  Moment  to  know  what  the  contrary  Difpo- 
fitioji  to  that  is,  and  the  certain  Means  how  to  preferve 
it  :  But  feeing  this  is  at  prefent  but  guefs’d  at,  I  fhall 
advance  what  feems  to  come  moft  near  it,  and  is  moft 
likely,  and  what  is  allowed  on  all  hands  to  be  fervice- 
able  3  and  that  is,  To  keep  the  Mind  as  chearful ,  and  the 
Body  as  healthful  as  pojfSly  ive  can. 

This  I  take  to  be  the  moft  certain  Prefervathe  next 
to  that  of  flying  from  the  Place  where  the  Plague 
rages. 

The  way  to  keep  the  Mind  chearful,  is  not  to  be 
over-anxious  about  worldly  Matters  or  the  Confequences 
of  Things,  and  to  banifh  from  the  Mind,  as  much  as 
may  be,  Fear ,  Anger ,  Hatred ,  Revenge ,  and  all  violent 
Pa  ssions  of  what  kind  foever. 

As  to  keeping  the  Body  healthful,  every  one  fhould 
ftudy  what  is  agreeable  to  his  own  Conftitution  3  but  a 
Temperate  Diet,  Moderate  Exerc'tfe,  Reading  aloud,  or  Sing- 
‘mg  and  chearful  Company  may  be  ferviceable  to  all. 

To  which  may  be  added,  drinking  Wine  or  other 
ftrong  Liquors  moderately  3  but  I  except  againft  Brandy , 
and  moft  diftilled  Waters,  for  their  Effects  are  foon' 
over,  and  the  Dejection  of  Spirits  is  greater  after  than 
before  they  are  drank. 

The  Care  of  Clothing  fhould  at  this  time  be  more 
than  ever,  for  fear  of  hindring  Infenjihle  Perfpiration ,  or  „ 
in  other  words,  for  fear  of  taking  Cold  3  and  for  the  fame 
Reafon,  Violent  Motions  and  Exercifes  ought  to  be  avoid¬ 
ed,  as  well  as  ExceJ/es  of  all  kinds. 

As  to  the  Medicinal  Part ,  different  Authors  have  re¬ 
commended  different  things  3  but  I  fhall  recommend 
thofe  that  have  had  moft  Experience  on  their  fide, 

I  do  not  know  whether  ore  Reafon  that  the  Winter 
abates  the  Plague,  may  not  be  from  the  Quantity  of  ni¬ 
trous  Particles  that  abound  in  it  then  3  for  if  we  may 

believ6 


(  38  > 

believe  Authors,  Nitre  has  been  found  beneficial  more 
ways  than  one. 

Hence  there  is  little  Reafon  to  doubt,  but  Nitre  or 
Salt-Petre  diffoived  in  Vinegar ,  and  evaporated  in  an 
Earthen  Pan  over  a  Charcoal  Fire  in  the  middle  of  a 
Room,  would  be  of  fervice  to  purify  the  Air.  And  for 
the  fame  purpofe,  Rue  deeped  in  Vinegar ,  and  differed 
to  fume  away  till  the  Moillure  was  chiefly  gone,  in  the 
lame  manner  as  before,  would  doubtlefs  be  proper.  In 
either  of  which,  if  a  little  Camphire  were  added,  fome 
think  it  would  be  fo  much  the  better  3  for  Camphire  has 
the  Praifes  of  mod,  upon  fuch  Occafions. 

The  following  Compofition  is  alfo  recommended  by 
an  Eminent  Author. 

Take  Nitre,  a  Pound  5  Sulphur ,  four  Ounces  5  Ben¬ 
zoin  and  Styrax  as  much  as  you  pleafe  :  melt  .to¬ 
gether,  and  form  it  into  fmall  Sticks,  to  throw 
upon  burning  Coals  when  ufed. 

As  to  Amulets ,  Quickfilver ,  Arfnick  and  Toads  are  mod: 
remarkable.  The  afore-mentioned  Droetus  gives  us  an 
Indance  wherein  Quickfilver  has  been  found  to  be  fuc- 
cefsful  hung  about  the  Neck  in  a  Walnut-Shell. 

Some  Italian  Phyficians  thought  nothing  of  greater 
Service  than  Arfnick  carried  about  a  Perfon  3  and  allure 
us,  that  not  one  that  did  fo  died,  as  *  Fijlorius  in¬ 
forms  us. 

Thofe  that  ufe  Toads  either  bore  a  hole  through  their 
Heads,  and  fo  hang  them  about  their  Necks ,  or  make 
Troches  of  them,  as  Helmont  3  or  encompafs  them  with 
Ifing-glafs,  and  fo  hang  them  as  before. 

As  to  my  own  Opinion  of  the  Matter,  I  can  only  fay, 
that  if  thefe*  as  we  are  told,  have  been  ferviceable, 
’tis  probable  they  may  be  fo  again,  and  I  fee  no  man¬ 
ner  of  harm  in  the  Trial  :  I  am  apt  to  think,  the  Toad 
will  be  the  lead  fancy’d  of  any  of  the  three. 

Before  I  come  to  Internal  Prefervatives,  I  mud  take 
notice  of  one  Caution  by  the  way,  That  Perfons  with 
empty  Stomachs  have  been  more  apt  to  receive  Infection 
than  others 3  which  diould  be  carefully  avoided  by  all 
that  go  near  the  Sick. 


*  Lib.  de  Peft.  pag.  54. 


Etm  idler 


(  39  ) 

Etmuller  f  tells  us,  that  Juniper-Berries,  Myrrh ,  Zedoa - 
ry,  are  worth  a  thoufand  other  Compofitions ,  if  ileeped 
in  good  Vinegar,  and  taken  by  way  of  Prevention.  A 
little  V enice-Treacle  dilfolved  in  Vinegar,  and  ||  filtred,  is 
alfo  excellent.  You  may  alfo  diffolve  a  little  Camphire 
in  Wine,  and  add  to  fome  Vinegar  at  pleaiure  $  for  Cam - 
fhire  will  hardly  dififolve  in  Vinegar.  Sylvius  *  fays,  that 
when  he  ufed  to  vifit  lick  Perfons,  he  onlyufed  to  foak 
fome  foft  Bread  in  a  Spoonful  of  Wine-Vinegar,  and  ate 
it  in  a  Morning  before  he  went  to  fee  them.  Some 
commend  Rhenijh  Wine  or  a  Draught  of  ftale  Beer  in  a 
Morning. 

Acid  or  tart  Fruits  are  alfo  faid  to  be  very  good  for 
this  Ufe,  to  be  eaten  fparingly  now  and  then  5  fuch  as 
Citrons,  Oranges,  Pomegranates ,  Currants,  Apples ,  &c. 

I  fhould  have  obferved  before  among!!  the  Externals, 
that  aSpunge  dipt  in  Vinegar,  and  held  to  the  Noflrils, 
is  of  fervice  5  to  which  a  little  Camphire  or  Myrrh  may 
be  added  at  pleafure  :  as  alfo  that  a  little  Ginger  or  Ze- 
doary  Ileeped  in  Vinegar,  and  held  in  the  Mouth  or 
chewed,  is  very  beneficial. 

Camphire,  as  I  faid  before,  Hands  recommended  very 
much  in  thefe  Cafes  3  and  where  hot  things  are  found 
ferviceable,  the  following  Compofition  may  not  be  im¬ 
proper. 

Take  Flowers  of  Sulphur  three  Drams  j  Myrrh  two 
Drams  5  Aloes  a  Dram  j  Saffron,  Camphire,  of  each 
half  a  Dram  :  mix  and  make  a  Powder,  or  with 
the  Pulp  of  Citrons  make  an  Eletluary. 

But,  according  to  my  Judgment,  what  I  recommended 
before  is  moH  proper. 

All  violent  Purges  are  to  be  forborn  j  for  they,  in- 
Head  of  refrefhing,  weaken  the  Body,  and  difiipate 
the  Spirits :  But  if  it  fhould  appear  that  there  is  evi¬ 
dent  Occafion  for  fuch  fort  of  Phyficjt ,  the  following 
Form  from  Barbette  will  be  proper. 


t  Etmuller.  Opera,  ubi  de  Pelle. 

)1  Filtred,  that  is}  f offered  to  run  as  mych  as  will  through 
IrozvTi  Paper . 

*  Pag.  275. 


Take 


(  4©  ) 

Take  choice  Rhubarb,  a  Dram  and  a  half;  Leaves 
of  Senna  pick’d,  two  Drams  5  Cream  of  Tartar ,  a 
Dram  ;  Roots  of  Viper -Grafs ,  half  an  Ounce  5 
Anif e-Seeds ,  half  a  Dram  ;  boil  in  Carduus  Bene¬ 
dict  us  Water :  ftrain,  and  to  three  Ounces  of  the 
Colature  add  Syrup  of  Succory  with  Rhubarb ,  fix 
Drams  ;  Spirit  of  Salt  a  little ;  ConfeHio  Alkermes 
a  Scruple :  mix  and  make  a  Draught . 

Or  this  5 

Take  of  Leaves  of  Senna  an  Ounce  and  a  half ; 
Mechoacan ,  half  an  Ounce  5  Zedoary,  Citron-Reel, 
Galangals ,  of  each  a  Dram  ;  of  the  Cordial 
Flowers  a  Pugil :  pour  on  a  fufficient  Quantity,  of 
RhenifjjVine  5  let  them  (land  a  day,  then  ftrain, 
of  which  take  four  Ounces, 

Some  number  Iffues  among  ft  the  beft  fort  of  Prefer- 
vathes ,  amongft  which  are  Hildanus ,  Riverius ,  Horjtius. 
Ltndanus  fays,  that  his  Uncle  was  at  Morocco  at  a  time 
when  85000  died  of  the  Plague  in  five  Weeks,  and  he 
perfuaded  a  Jew,  who  was  a  Pbyjician ,  to  make  Iffues, 
and  they  all  of  them  efcaped  but  one,  who  refufed  to 
have  one  made :  and  moreover,  Lindanus  himfelf  con¬ 
firms  their  Serviceablenefs,  and  adds,  that  thofe  that 
have  Iffues  feel  a  pricking  Pain  in  them  when  they  go 
near  the  Info  fled,  which  Hodges  *  alfo  confirms. 

I  have  not  ventured  to  fay  any  thing  by  way  of  Re¬ 
commendation  of  the  hotter  fort  of  Antidotes ,  becaufe,as 
Sydenham  f  obferves,  if  they  were  not  follow’d  by  a 
Sweat,  they  were  generally  noxious  in  the  laft  Plague 
at  London :  therefore  with  this  Caution  I  /hall  giye  you 
one  of  that  fort. 

Take  Zedoary  two  Drams  ;  Wormwood ,  Dittany  of 
Crete ,  of  each  half  a  Handful ;  Water-Germander, 
Carduus  BenediBus ,  of  each  a  Handful  ;  Citron- 
Feel ,  half  an  Ounce';  Pimpernel  Root ,  half  an 
Ounce  ;  Elecampane -Root,  two  Drams :  let  them 
be  cut  into  Bits,  and  tyed  up  in  a  Lumen  Cloth, 
and  hung  in  Wine  or  Ale,  of  whicK  a  Draught  is 
to  be  drank  after  Breakfaft  of  at  Dinner. 


*  Pag.  241.  de  Pefte. 


t  Pag.  132. 


Some 


(  4i  ) 

Some  have  recommended  the  Ufe  of  Alf orients ,  fuch 
as  Bole  Armoniac ,  Terra  Si  gill  at  a,  Pearls,  Coral ,  Crabs-Eyes , 
Crabs-Clazvs ,  and  the  like.  Thofe  who  rely  much  upon 
Amulets,  may  wear  the  following,  as  good  as  any.  - 

Take  white  Arfnick ,  half  an  Ounce  5  Orpiment,  a 
Dram  and  a  half }  Powder  of  Toads,  two 
Ounces  5  red  Sanders ,  a  Dram  :  with  Mucilage  of 
Gam  Tragacanth  make  an  Amulet  in  the  ufual 
Form. 

Before  I  take  my  leave  of  Prefervdthes,  I’ll  give  you 
as  odd  a  one  as  1  have  read  of.  Lemnius  *  lays,  his 
Countrymen,  that  is,  the  Rufticks  and  meaner  fort,  take 
Pieces  of  Skins ,  and  Horns ,  and  Bones  fomething  fre/h, 
and  ca ft  them  inro  the  Fire,  and  fume  their  Cottages  and 
Huts  with  them,  and  fo  preierve  themfelves  from  the 
Plague.  Perhaps  this  may  help  us  to  account  for  what 
Palmarius  j  affirms  to  be  true  concerning  the  Leather- 
Dreffers  at  Paris :  Fdr  he  fays,  that  tho’  the  Plague  was 
great,  and  they  lived  in  the  midft  of  the  City,  yet  few 
of  them  were  infeded  5  and  thinks  the  Smell  that  is 
about  their  Houfes  kept  out  the  Plague:  but  fays,  others 
imagine  they  are  fo  ufed  to  ill  Smells,  that  the  Conta¬ 
gion  could  not  affeft  them  5  and  adds,  that  the  Clean - 
fers  of  the  Streets  and  Vaults  and  Hofpital  Servants  laugh 
at  and  defpife  it.  A 

Lemnius,  whom  I  mention’d  juft  before,  fays  a  Garri- 
fon  that  lay  in  the  Came  of  Tournay  freed  the  Town 
from  a  Peftilential  Diftemper  by  firing  the  great  Guns 
Morning  and  Night.  So  much  for  Prefervatives. 

But  before  I  come  to  the  Cure  of  thofe  that  are  in- 
fecled,  it  is  proper  to  fay  fomething  of  the  ufual  Signs 
whereby  we  may  know  the  Event  of  the  Difeafe  ?  thos 
you  rauft  take  notice  by  the  way,  that  the  moft  certain 
Rules  in  this  Cafe  may  fo  me  times  prove  fallacious. 

If  the  Buboes  or  Tumors  break  out  quickly,  and  the  Br0gn$icu 
Symptoms  then  remit,  you  may  hope  for  a  good  Event. 

A  Plague  with  Buboes  is  the  mildeft  and  leaft  dangerous  of 
all  5  that  with  Carbuncles  is  next  j  but  that  with  Spots  is 
the  worft  of  all.  The  more  Buboes  there  are,  the  bet- 


*  De  Occult.  Nat.  Mirac.  lib.  2,  cap.  io? 
t  De  Feb.  Peft.  cap.  15. 


F 


ter  j 


I 


Cure* 


(  42  ) 

ter  5  the  more  Carbuncles ,  the  wbrfe  :  Large  Free  Sweat  ~ 
ing  is^a  good  Sign  j  a  cold  Sweat  is  a  bad,  as  likewife  if 
the  Extremities  of  the  Body  are  cold,  particularly  the 
^he  dropping  of  the  l\:ofe  is  mortal.  Tumors . 
lying  hid,  portend  Danger.  It  is  a  deadly  Sign  for  Hic- 
c  upping  to  fucceed  Buboes.  Raving  with  fiery  Eyes  and  a 
dry  Tongue  is  a  bad  Sign.  If  a  .Carbuncle  fucceed  a  Buboe , 
it  is  mortal.  Carbuncles  appearing  on  the  Fingers  are 
dangerous,  by  reafon  of  the  Tendons.  It  is  better  for 
Tumors  to  appear  befb're  than  after  the  Fever.  For  Tu¬ 
mors  to  be  a  little  inflamed,  is  not  very  dangerous  5 
but  it  a  livid  Circle  furrounds  them,  it  is  dangerous. 
If  when  a  Mtflenng  Ft  after  is  .  apply ’d,  no  Blifler  is 
railed,  you  may  lately  fay  the  Sick  will  not  recover. 
A  Carbuncle  with  a  Streak  of  yellow  or  red ,  is  dangerous  5 
but  if  the  Streak  grows  white  without  the  Decreafe  of 
the  k  ever,  tnere  is  little  Hope  left.  If  Buboes  in  the 
Neck,  or  behind  the  Ears,  bring  on  Pains  of  the 
I  hi  opt,  anti  Swallowing  is  hinder’d,  without  any  nota¬ 
ble  internal  Inflammation  5  the  Sick  will  fcarce  live 
fifteen  or  ftxteen  Hours  longer*  A  Remarkable  Fever 
without  Anxiety  of  the  Heart ,  is  lefs  dangerous  than 
.Anxiety  or  the  Fie  art  without  a  Remarkable  Fever.  Some¬ 


times  it  happens  that  there  are  Carbuncles  on  the  E'res 
Batids  or  Stomach,  without  any  Hopes  of  Recovery.  Like- 
wde  if  Carbuncles '  fhould  happen  on  the  Urinary  Bladder , 
the  Sick  will  die  in  very  great  Pain. 

The  chief  Aim  which  Authors  have  had  in  the  Cure, 
has  been  to  throw  the  Matter  of  Contagion  out  of  the 
Body  5  which  Method  Nature  lee. ms  to  have  fuggefled, 
in  endeavouring  to  expel  the  Poifon,  as  is  evident  from 
the  Buboes  and  Carbuncles  :  And  for  this  purpofe  they 
haie  agreed  that  Sweating  is  1110ft  proper.  And  Etmuller 
would  have  no  Sudorifck  Cdmpofltion  be  given  without 
Samphire.  Of  which  take  the  following  Forms. 

r^rcac^e"Brater  fix  Drams,  or  an  Ounce  } 
Saffron ,  about  as  much  as  a  Tea  j  Cam phi  re,  half 
a  Dram :  mix. 


To  an  adult  rerfoh  give  all  of  it,  to  a  younger  half. 

Another . 

1  ake  Fenice-Treacle,  two  Scruples  ;  Flowers  of  Sul- 
phur,  a  Scruple  5  tdmphm ,  fifteen  Grains:  mix. 

Give 


(  4}  ) 

Give  it  all  to  an  infe£led  Perfo.t,  expelling  a 
Sweat. 

Next  to  Camfhire ,  Spirit  of  Harts-horn  given  to  a  Dram, 
is  accounted  excellent  5  of  which  *  Hodges  gives  an  In- 
ftance.  Ivy -Bernes  given  to  a  Dram  in  Wine,  has  been 
obferved  to  be  profitable.  In  the  Management  of  the 
Sick  obierve  the  following  Rules. 

I.  The  Sweating  Medicine  is  to  be  repeated  every  eight 
Hours ,  that  the  Sick  may  Jzveat  three  times  a  day.  While 
there  is  a  Rcmiffion  of  the  Sweating,  the  Sick  fhould 
be  fupply’d  with  comfortable  acid  Liquors  :  if  Buboes , 
Carbuncles ,  or  Spots  appear  with  fome  Eafe,  Sweating  is 
to  be  continued.  Regard  is  always  to  be  had  to  the 
Strength  and  Confiitution  of  the  Sick,  as  to  the  Degree 
of  Sweating. 

II.  The  Sick  fJjould  not  be  fujfered  to  fleep  while  he 
fweats.  If  you  find  the  Sick  inclinable  to  deep,  dip  a 
Spunge  in  a  little  Wine  Vinegar ,  and  hold  to  his  Nofe  > 
if  a  little  Samphire  has  been  ditTolved  in  it,  it  will  be 
better. 

III.  While  the  Sick  is  fweating,  take  a  Fenny-Loaf 
hot  out  of  the  Oven,  and  cut  off  the  bottom  Cruft  5 
make  a  little  hole  in  the  middle,  and  put  in  two  Drams 
of  Venice-Treacle ,  and  apply  it  to  his  Navel.  The  Loaf 
is  faid  to  draw  out  the  Poifon. 

IV.  If  the  Sick  is  inclinable  to  be  very  wakeful,  and 
thence  delirious ,  a  little  Laudanum  fhould  be  added  to 
the  Sudorifick  Medicine,  efpecially  in  the  beginning,  that 
the  Symptoms  may  abate,  and  after  the  Sweat  is  wiped 
off,  a  refrefhing  Sleep  may  follow  :  But  note,  in  wiping 
the  Sick  you  muft  take  the  greateft  Precautions  againft 
the  cold  Air  j  and  the  Linnen  that  is  ufecl  fhould  be 
hot,  and  fumed  with  Sulphur ,  Amber ,  Franhncenfe,  or 
Myrrh. 

V.  The  Plague  is  fometimes  attended  with  a  Burning 
Fever  5  and  then  Venice-Treacle,  or  Mithridate,  unlefs  cor- 
re£led  with  Acids,  is  not  proper/ 

VI.  Acids  are  never  to  be  omitted:  For  they  are  to  be 
given  with  the  Sweating  Medicine  in  the  Declination  of 
the  Sweat,  and  after  the  Sweat  is  over,  to  refrefh  the 


F  a 


*  Pag.  164,  de  Pefte, 


Sick* 


(  44  ) 

Sick.  But  on  the  other  hand,  you  fhould  take  care 
always  to  correct  the  Acids  with  fomething  that  is 
Sudor  i fck. 

VII.  Blifiering  Tlafrers  are  ufed  in  the  Plague  with 
good  Succels  :  they  may  be  laid  to  the  Neck,  Shoulders , 
or  Calves  of  the  Legg  and  even  to  the  Buboes  too  with 
profit.  The  following  Compofition  was  ufed  in  the 
great  Plague  at  London. 

Take  of  Tar  five  Ounces  5  Galhanum  an  Ounce  $ 
Bees~Wax  an  Ounce  and  a  half:  melt  them  to¬ 
gether,  and  remove  them  from  the  Fire,  and 
then  add  Powder  of  Spanifl  Flies  an  Ounce  :  old 
Teajiy  Seeds  of  Bijloop'  s-U/eed,  of  each  three 
Drams  5  Euphorbium  a  Dram  ?  add  a  fufficient 
Quantity  of  Vinegar  of  Squills  5  let  them  be  well 
mixed  and  incorporated  till  they  are  brought 
into  a  Mafs  for  Plait ers. 

The  Part  to  which  it  is  apply’d,  fhould  be  firfl  rubbed 
till  it  is  red  5  and  after  the  Plafler  is  taken  off,  the 
Sore  fhould  be  kept  running  for  lorne  time  :  To  that 
end  you  may  apply  Melilot  Plafler  fpnnkled  with  Pow¬ 
der  of  Spanijh  Flies.  If  an  Inflammation  fhould  fol¬ 
low,  you  may  apply  Coleivort  Leaves.  But  you  are  to 
life  thefe  Plaflers  to  all  indifferently,  as  where  there  is 
Bleat  or  Incontinence  of  Urine ,  an  Inflammation  or  Ulcera¬ 
tion  of  the  Sphincter  of  the  Bladder ,  or  where  there  is 
bloody  Urine ,  or  Women  are  with  Child  or  near  Menfirua- 
tion7  or  to  very  weak  Patients,  they  are  not  to  be  ufed. 

VIII.  In  the  very  beginning  of  the  Difeafe,  a  Vomit 
isfometimes  fuccefsftil,  the  Poifon  being  yet  in  Pnmis 
V'tis:  But  if  the  Sick  is  fo  troubled  with  Vomitings  that 
it  will  not  iuflfer  him  to  retain  any  Medicines ,  then  only 
cover  him  with  Clothes,  and  try  to  make  him  fweat 
that  way  5  which  will  flop  his  Vomiting ,  and  put  him  in 
a  Condition  to  retain  any  thing. 

IX.  Blood-letting  moil  fay  is  hurtful,  tho’  *  Sydenham 
\vould  fain  perfuade  us  to  the  contrary,  and  gives  us  a 
Catalogue  of  the  Authors  that  have  voted  for  it.  But 


*  Obferv.-Med.  p.  j  ;g. 


Partftts 


(  45  ) 

Farms  f  tells  us,  that  in  the  Tear  1 5^5 ,  when  the 
Plague  raged  throughout  all  France,  Charles  IX.  being 
upon  a  Journey  to  Bayonne,  he  diligently  enquired  of  the 
Fhyficians  and  Surgeons  how  F urging  and  Blood-letting  fuc- 
ceeded,  who  all  anfwered  with  one  Voice,  that  they 
had  obferved  carefully,  and  all  who  had  Blood  taken 
away  freely,  or  were  purged  briskly,  thenceforward 
grew  worfe,  and  afterwards  died  5  and  the  reft,  who 
ufed  only  Alexiterials ,  almoft  all  efcaped.  I  could  give 
other  Inftances  of  this  kind,  and  fome  to  the  contrary  5 
fo  that  all  we  can  conclude  from  it,  is,  that  tho5  Blood¬ 
letting  is  generally  bad,  yet,  in  fome  particular  kinds  of 
this  Diftempcr,  it  may  be  ufeful. 

Before  I  have  done  with  this  Part,  I  will  give  you  an 
eafy  camphorated  Compofition,  faid  to  be  of  great  Ef¬ 
ficacy.  Take  of  Sugar-candy  three  Drams  5  white  Gin¬ 
ger  two  Drams  5  Camphire  a  Dram  '•>  make  a  Powder  : 
The  Dofe  a  Dram  3  to  be  taken  in  any  convenient  Ve¬ 
hicle.  As  to  the  comfortable  acid  Liquors  before  men¬ 
tioned,  they  are  varioufly  compounded  of  the  fimple 
diftilled  Waters  of  Sorrel ,  Scabious ,  Rofes ,  and  the  Jui¬ 
ces  of  acid  Fruits ,  fuch  as  Citrons ,  Currants ,  Rafpberries , 
Mulberries ,  and  Fomgranates ,  Syrups  of  the  fame,  and 
Wine,  and  a  few  Drops  of  the  Spirit  of  Vitriol,  which 
the  Compounder  muft  fo  manage,  as  to  make  them 
grateful  and  agreeable.  To  make  it  cordial,  fome  add 
Extratt  of  Sajfrctt  5  but  it  muft  be  only  a  few  Grains  5 
for  to  be  over-hot,  is  contrary  to  the  Intention  :  for  which 
reafon  the  Compound  Waters  are  omitted,  which  are 
prefcribed  in  ordinary  Juleps. 

I  now  come  to  give  fome  Rules  concerning  the  re¬ 
lieving  the  Symptoms. 

In  curing  Buboes,  the  Intentions  are  to  draw  out  the 
Poifon,  to  ripen  them,  and  to  cleanfe  and  heal  them. 

To  draw  out  the  Poifon,  fome  make  ufe  of  Onions ' 
roaflcd,  and  mixed  with  white  Mufiard-feed  bruifed,  and 
apply  it  after  the  manner  of  a  Fultice  5  others,  inftead 
of  Miiftard-Seed,  take  Eetiice -Treacle,  efpecially  if  the 
Buboes  are  painful,  which  alfo  helps  to  ripen  them. 


j  De  Pefte,  cap.  24. 


Dryed 


(  4^  ) 

T>  yed  Toads  leaked  in  Wine  are  laid  to  be  very  fervice- 
able  for  this  End,  if  apply'd  to  the  Buboes  when  they 
are  foftened.  Hogs-Greaftey  mixed  with  roafted  Onionsy 
has  been  ufed  with  Succefs.  Some  take  the  following 
T  ah  ice  to  be  very  good. 

Take  zvhite  'Lilly  Roots  and  Roots  of  Marft.--MaUozvsy 
of  each  two  Ounces  ?  nu  two  or  three  5  boil 
in  a  iufficient  Quantity  of  Oil  or  zvhite  Lillies  to 
the  Confidence  of  a  Puitice ,  add  fine  SGot  an 
Ounce  5  Venice Soap  fix  Drams  5  Oil  of  frogs  two 
Drams  5  mix  and  make  a  Puitice. 

When,  by  fuch  means  as  thefe,  the  Buhoe  is  ready  to 
be  opened,  for  it  is  dangerous  to  day  for  a  perfedf  Sup¬ 
puration,  you  mud  either  make  ufe  of  a  Lancet ,  or  a 
Potential  Cautery  3  or,  in  the  place  of  both,  you  may 
ufe  the  following  Piader  from  Hodges . 

lake  Em  pi  aft  rum  Or  y  croce  urn  three  Ounces  3  drain- 
ed  Galbanum ,  Gum  Car  anna ,  of  each  an  Ounce  3 
Tar  two  Ounces  3  melt  them  together,  and  with 
Oil  of  Camomile ,  or  Lillies ,  make  a  Mafs  for 
Pi  afters. 

After  the  Euboe  is  opened  any  way,  Balftam  of  Sulphur 
with  Turpentine  mud  be  ufed  mixed  with  Unguentum 
Bafihcon  and  Vemcs-Treacle  3  over  which  put  a  Piader 
of  Diapompholygos ,  till  the  Ulcer  be  cleanfed  and  hea¬ 
led. 

A  Carbuncle  being  a  ICortiji  cation  begun,  the  dr d  Step 
towards  the  Cure,  is  to  dop  the  fpreading  of  it  3  for 
which  purpofe  I  need  not  mention  any  thing  befides But¬ 
ter  of  Antimony  *  for  if  a  Circle  be  made  round  the  Car¬ 
buncle  with  this,  it  will  not  only  hinder  its  Progrefs, 
but  caufe  the  mortified  Part  to  fall  out  3  after  which 
the  Ulcer  may  be  cleanfed  and  healed  as  that  of  the 
Bubce.  Some  ufe  drong  Bliftering  Plafters  both  to  Bu¬ 
boes  and  Carbuncles ,  and  afterwards  heal  them  as  be-, 
fore. 


As 


(  47  ) 

As  to  any  other  Symptoms  that  may  arife,  they  are 
feldom  fo  much  attended  to,  as  to  require  a  particular 
Cure?  nor  indeed  ought  any  thing  to  be  given  which 
interferes  with  the  main  Intention  of  Cure:  for  if  that 
goes  on  fuccefsfully,  the  reft  will  all  vanifh  of  courfe  > 
but  if  that  be  interrupted,  relieving  a  prefent  Com¬ 
plaint  will  be  but  a  poor  Satisfaction,. 


F  1  N  1  s: 


■ 


MMUjj 


•BVw* 


hr 


Xi 


mmm 


*x*. 


%  ;VV  ' 

VI.  I  .  V 


7'